Guiding Spirit
by ChihiroAyasato
Summary: "You brought meaning into this pointless and dull life of mine. You taught me to live with a purpose. I listened. But after I found it, I died trying to reach my dream. And accomplished nothing whilst I was alive. ...This is my last world. There is no second chance. ...Can I save you?"
1. Chapter I Distant Remnant

**Author's Note:**

**Lingering Fragrance is submitted within this chapter as it was originally a extract from this story.**

**Written draft of the Mia Fey Ace Attorney Visual Novel.**

**Xekuto Zoren is my OC and Mia Fey's childhood friend.**

* * *

**Guiding Spirit**

**Chapter I – Distant Remnant**

"_W-wow…! What is this? I've never tasted anything like it!" The ten year old girl exclaimed with delight as she grinned back at him, bright, yellow crumbs were littered all across her rosy cheeked face._

_He smiled, ruffling her chestnut coloured hair affectionately. It really had been a while since he'd last seen her. She'd really grown, the light purple, sleeves of her robes were short enough to reveal her wrists, and the large ribbon tied around her waist to keep the uniform in position didn't seem overly big anymore. He grinned to himself, remembering seeing her when she first received the costume, and had pretended to mistaken her for a wrapped up baby just for a tease._

"_It's called cake, Mia. Hasn't your mother ever bought some for you after work?"_

_Her hazel eyes perked up with the usual curious spark as she gazed up at him.  
"No, it's the first time I've ever eaten something so good!" She stuffed the last remaining pieces into her mouth. _

"_How exactly is cake made?" _

_The young boy sighed softly, amusement glittering in his own emerald eyes. Her thirst for knowledge was the one thing that hadn't changed after all this time. _

"_Mostly eggs, butter, milk and flour."_

She really does have strict parents, this one.

"_So," he mused. "What have you been up to before school term started?"  
Giggles filled the silent meadow as he tried to wipe the crumbs off her rosy cheeked face with a handkerchief. _

"_You tell first, Xekuto-niichan!"_

* * *

The memory floated in her mind as if it were music in the air. She sighed and covered her face with a hand. A glint of sunlight from a golden badge pinned to her bottom right white lapel reflected from the office windows managed to jerk her back to the present.

That's right; she was a defence attorney now. Not a child eagerly anticipating someone to tell them more stories about what they did in school. The young woman felt oddly cold in her tight black top and skirt, even though she was wearing a tan scarf around her neck, along with a blue magatama. She gazed back at her work table. Files and numerous sheets of paper were spread out on the simple plastic desk. Here and there, she would glimpse a photo of a victim, or another of the suspect, her client. She sighed once again, no matter what she did or tried, her brain just didn't seem to be working this morning… She wondered what was wrong with her, when suddenly the boy's image appeared in her mind again.

"Stop thinking about him!" she cursed at herself through gritted teeth. Work was more important here, not remembering childhood friends.

Childhood _friend_, she corrected herself. He had been her only proper friend back at Kurain Village…

"A-HEEEMM!" The young defense attorney could recognise that ridiculously loud clearing of a throat anywhere.

"Good morning, Mr. Grossberg." She turned and managed to smile at him without much trouble. The boy's image appeared again, this time more distinct in shape; his spiky black hair outlining the golden sunlight that was filtering through…

"Ah, and a good morning to you too, m'dear!" A rather plump old man with perfectly round glasses came marching towards her. He was dressed in a red suit that surprisingly managed to fit him. The man glanced at an oak clock that sat neatly near his own grand desk.

"By George! You're the first to come yet again, and so early too! What exactly are you up to, Mia?"

"N-Nothing much. I just thought that getting to work with a clear mind would be more helpful, sir."

"Ah yes, just like the fresh scent of lemons when I was a youth… As they say, always work hard and never give up!" He fluffed out his moustache as if to prove his point.

Mia had no idea what lemons had to do with persistence but she nodded politely for her boss's sake.

* * *

"Perfect, just perfect. It's only lunchbreak and I've already humiliated myself by showing the wrong case files to Mr. Grossberg TWICE, AND I've forgotten my purse!"

She clutched her head and massaged her temples in an attempt to make the ache in her head die down, not knowing how much worse her first day as a defense attorney could get. Mia was aware that she was alone, everyone else had left either to purchase their lunch or rest outside in the fresh air. So far, she hadn't come across a single work partner that seemed thoroughly interested in doing their job properly. Maybe proving herself worthy to her boss wouldn't be so hard after all…  
That's when she first heard his voice.

"What are you doing up there all alone, _Kitten_?"

She positively jumped off from where she was sitting at the cocky remark that had just shot out at her like a stray bullet. Mia turned her head sharply to stare at a dark skinned man with wild black hair. He was leaning by the doorway as she took in his image; a bright red shirt and striped vest, including two dark bands at the curve of his arms with matching red trousers and a neat black tie positioned near his collarbone. She flushed at being caught sitting with probably a dazed look on her own desk.

However, it wasn't the way he dressed that rendered her speechless, it was his eyes. Dark, hazel brown eyes that held her gaze with such curiosity. Mia noticed a clean, white mug in his hand with steam coming out of it. Coffee, she guessed.

But that didn't matter.

A total stranger had just called her _Kitten_!

"I have a name." She replied back coolly. "It's Mia Fey."

"Ha…!" He gave a short bark like laugh that made her flinch. The man walked slowly towards her. "Well, I guess when asking someone a question, you should always know their name." He extended his coffee holding hand towards her.  
"Diego Armando."

Mia stared at him with disbelief. "What, you expect me to shake hands with your coffee mug, s-sir?" she managed sarcastically.

"No, I expect you to drink from it." He replied with a teasing grin.

Her eyes widened.

"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe. I haven't even taken a sip yet, which I warn you, is rather unusual for someone like me," He gazed at her again with those eyes. "unless I'm distracted, of course."

_I-Is he HITTING on me? That's it, this day could not possibly get any worse than this._

After a moment's silence, the man continued the conversation as if the last few sentences were never said.

"I heard that you forgot your purse."  
_Oh please, Lord. No._

"So, how about it, Kitten?" He held up his still steaming coffee mug and drank from it. "Want to do lunch?"

It took all of Mia's physical strength to stop her jaw from crashing to the carpeted floor, or simply scream at this man to politely _go away_.

"After all," he continued. "You are the office newbie here. I think I should keep an eye out for you. Have you seen the way some guys back there look at you?"

_Yeah, you're giving me a great example of that. _She thought vehemently. No, she wasn't going to lose to him that easily. In fact, this was a perfect opportunity; she would show him that she wasn't just some vulnerable elementary school girl. Mia had worked extremely hard to get here in this office all by herself, and she will not tolerate any of this behaviour shown towards her, especially by this man that obviously has never heard of the term 'personal space'.

"Fine," she replied, pasting a sickly sweet smile on her face. "I'll go, but bear in mind, Mr. Armando that this is in no way a date."

"Ha…! I don't keep promises like that, Kitten." He motioned towards the door with his coffee mug. "Shall we?"

* * *

_She was on the floor, crying, crying her eyes out as she lay there, winded. In the back of her mind, a small voice was telling her to get up, after all; no one was there with her. Her mother was too busy taking care of her baby sister to care about _her _anymore. She was just a worthless little girl who no one took notice of…_

"_Stand up."_

_She jerked and the tears stopped flowing for a second. Her eyes looked up and found a young boy in what seemed to be a gi top standing at the top of a small hill._

"_How long are you going to lie there crying? Stand up." He said again, more sternly this time._

"_B-but…!" she protested through sobs. "It h-hurts!"_

_A strange sensation came over her as she saw his eyes soften. _

"_I know." He said quietly. "But you're going to get up in the end anyway, right? So why not lessen the pain by just getting up now?"_

_He was right. He was right and she knew it. Focusing on her bruised hands, she planted them to the ground and slowly, ever so slowly lifted herself up. Suddenly, there was a hand there, reaching out for her. Without thinking, she grabbed for it and was on her feet again in less than a heartbeat._

_The young boy knelt down and patted the dirt off her purple robs. She stared at him with fascination, the pain in her legs forgotten._

"_I-I thought you said I had to get up myself." She blurted out._

_His gentle eyes silenced her completely as a warm smile gently positioned itself on his face. _

"_Yeah, but it's much more worthwhile to achieve something through the aid of friends, am I wrong?" he murmured, and handed her a handkerchief to wipe away the tears stains left on her red cheeks._

* * *

Mia blinked, and found herself back at the office in front of her computer. She breathed a sigh of relief and cleared her head. It seemed that she had managed to survive that unexpected 'meeting' with Mr. Armando. How much coffee does he drink in a day…? No wait, an hour? She was absolutely certain that he had drowned down at least seven cups in that period of time. The young defence attorney shook her head in both disgust and frustration. Great, now she was worrying about HIM too. She rubbed her tired eyes, trying to refocus them to the computer. The framed photo that sat neatly at the corner of her desk was still in her peripheral vision though. It was a photo of her as a young child, in her spiritual training top on the back of a young boy that looked a few years older than her. A spiky haired young boy wearing a white jumper sat at the bottom left hand corner, smiling out of the frame.

_Okay, back to the case, so this young lady here called Delores Wellington was stabbed with a fruit knife on September for – _

"Ah, Mia, m'dear!" She gritted her teeth before turning to face her boss with what she hoped not to be a grimace upon her face.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Diego Armando wants you in his office, he's been buzzing me for ages." The plump old man replied with a twitch of his moustache.

Mia groaned and sank deeper into her seat.

Grossberg was not amused. "Come now, m'dear. I tried to convince him that you were too busy to be interrupted but seeing that you were gazing into space only a few seconds ago proves me wrong."

She flushed a dark shade of pink, dipped her head in apology and headed for the coffee addict's room straight away.

_What could that man possibly want with me now?_

She thought with annoyance and she turned the knob of a handsome mahogany door. A golden nameplate was pinned near the top, which she fixed one of her most fierce glares at before entering.

"Ah, there you are, Kitten, finally!" He looked at her from his rosewood desk with that cocky smile plastered on his face. "I've been waiting for ages."  
"I apologise to you with deep sincerity as I obviously wasn't working." She muttered sarcastically.

"Ha…! You amuse me more everytime you speak, Kitten." He leaned back on his wheeled chair, arms folded behind his head. The smile was still there.

Mia placed her hands on her hips and gave him a disgusted look. "What did you call me here for?" She had long given up asking her to quit calling her kitten.

"Ah yes. I'd almost forgotten." He stood up and walked towards her until they were only one metre apart.  
Mia felt the back of her neck start to burn with embarrassment. "W-What is it?"

"Something very important that I need to ask you, and you alone." He whispered. The smile was gone now as he inched closer towards her.

He was so close she could feel his warm coffee scented breath on her cheeks. It was obvious that her entire face was completely dyed red by now.

"…Would you hold my coffee for me?"

She blinked and found herself leaning slightly back.

"H-huh…? WHAT?!" it seemed that her jaw had fallen and hit the floor.

"Thanks! I owe ya' one!" Before she had time to protest, a hot cup of coffee was already in her hands and the attorney was walking away to one of his pigeon holes.

"I need to go through some files, you see. And I didn't want a coffee ring to stick to that table, after all, it IS new." He murmured, half to himself, half to her, as he looked through a brown manila folder.

Mia stood there the whole time, hardly listening to him rant on about how good his coffee blend was and why on earth the text of the file was in Times New Roman, with her mouth open and steaming cup still in hand. She wanted desperately to just drop it, not caring about staining his precious carpets, and run. However, she didn't want to cause a scene and the rugs that she was standing on just might have been purchased by Mr. Grossberg, and knowing how much he cared about his expensive items, she didn't think it was a good idea.

Mia didn't know how long she had to stand there, holding his coffee cup and listening to his pointless observations. But she did know that she would never set foot in his office again, unless she, herself had a reason to enter. And judging by what he had just done, the chances were officially negative infinity.


	2. Chapter II Reunion

**Author's Note: Japanese honourifics have been used here.**

**Oniichan - endearing suffix for older brother**

**Imouto - little sister**

**Imouto-chi - Xekuto's personal nickname for Mia. He has shortened the first character of her Japanese name (Chihiro) to 'Chi'.**

* * *

**Guiding Spirit**

Chapter II

"Pardon me, but I heard that the new worker's surname was Fey?"

The abnormal question seemed more like a snide remark and caused Mia to drop her pen altogether on the document she was writing. It bounced away from her feet and down the aisle of desks beside her. She glanced over to another workspace with a dark, curly haired man sitting behind it. He possessed a rather hooked nose and seemed to be patronising her with his cold black eyes. Her heart fluttered slightly as she recognised him.

"Y-Yes, my name is Mia Fey." She replied indignantly, refusing for her pride to be ruffled by this man, someone that she knew too well.

Robert Hammond, the reason of her mother's disappearance, and the reason she pushed herself so hard to become a defense attorney.

"Ah, excellent." He folded his hands and leaned his elbows against the desk. "I've been meaning to meet up with a relative of the infamous Misty Fey."

The words send a jolt of pure fury and hatred in the young attorney's heart. She stood up without any thought, a flush upon her cheeks.

"Yes, what of it?" She said menacingly. How dare he address my mother like that?

Some heads rose from their typing and writing, both curious and nervous as they saw where this conversation was going. She was so angry she didn't hear the door creak open a few metres away, didn't notice a young man stepping in.

"I see you are still pretty wound up about the DL-6 incident. Mind you, I want to make one thing quite clear." He also stood from behind his desk and leaned towards her. "Your mother, was nothing but a sick, arrogant spirit medium who merely fibbed about her wonderful, supernatural powers." Hammond almost spat the last few words out of his lips.

A weight seemed to have dropped into her body and clashed with both her lungs and heart. She longed to scream out in protest and haul a fist into this man's face. But instead, a mixture of fury and hurt in the form of liquid welled up into her eyes as gasps of horror filled the room. It seemed that everyone had heard the situation at hand.

_No…why am I crying? I can't cry, not now… I can't let him know that he's won…_

"Are you quite done, sir? Or have you found another adjective to add to the list?" The voice was quiet but it caused Hammond to flinch slightly.

Mia suddenly found a strong grip on her shoulder, and whirled around to see who on earth it was. It seemed as if her heart had stopped pounding for a few seconds as she found herself staring into a pair of chilling emerald eyes with utmost hatred towards the man.

"Xe-ku…?!" was all that she managed to croak.

"Who might you be, charging full speed into this conversation? I'll have you know that -," Hammond was cut short by the almost piercing glare from the man's sharp eyes that caused him to close his mouth.

"May I remind you, good sir, as your memory may be failing you….that you have not yet answered my question." He walked a few steps closer to the desk.

"Are you quite done?"The force of his words seemed to push Hammond back into his seat, though the newcomer's eyes were still glaring.

Mia was planted to the ground by her feet, absolutely speechless at what had just happened.

"Y-Yes, I am done." He managed to regain some composure. "What's it to you, you cowardly young…boy?"

"Oh, I assure you it is nothing, sir." The man started to turn away, letting Hammond think that fear had overcome him, and that he had given up. Of course, no one was expecting what he said coldly next.

"I was just making sure you didn't lose your job, after all, wouldn't that be your boss standing a few footsteps away from us?"

Nearly everybody in the office jumped in shock as they realised that Marvin Grossberg, was indeed in the office with his arms folded before his chest.

Mia caught only snatches of what her boss was yelling out at Hammond as the young man guided her outside the large room with his warm hands on her shoulders. Everybody else had returned to their work, making sure that they in turn would not be caught for eavesdropping and receive a furious scolding themselves.

He closed the door behind them and smiled for the first time since his arrival, all the anger in his eyes melted away, making her doubt whether it had been there in the first place.

"Well, it really has been a while, Mia." He murmured with sincere warmth in his voice.

She was only aware of half stumbling, half running into his waiting arms, tears blurring her vision as they closed around her. The tears from the conversation with Hammond could no longer be held back.

"…X-Xeku-niichan…" her sobs were only audible to him.

* * *

_"No! You can't leave… you just can't!" her voice was choked with raw emotion and droplets of tears slid down her rosy cheeks._

_"Mia…I,"  
"Don't…you c-can't…Oniichan, you can't!" she blurted out again, using the Japanese term for big brother to address him. Of course, they were not siblings, but because she had grown so attached to him, the term just seemed natural to her now._

_It ached the young boy's heart to watch this news dissolve all the existing happiness inside her. He quietly walked over and embraced her tightly._

_"Y-You… You're the only f-friend that I h-have. If you leave, I'll be alone… all alone!" Her voice was muffled against his orange shirt but he heard every word._

_A fresh jolt of pain ran through his body, there was so much guilt submerged in him it didn't feel like he could continue standing._

_"I'm sorry. I have no choice but to leave. I can't change what my aunt and uncle decides…" he tasted bitterness in his throat at the thought of never being able to address his parents ever again, and managed to hold the welling tears back. No, he couldn't cry. Not when she was in such pain already._

_Mia continued to sob in his arms._

_"…Tell you what, let's make a promise." He held out his pinky finger._

_She choked back more tears but did the same._

_He smiled, "The next time we meet will be under the same defense attorney office. So, until then, promise to study extra hard so that you can become a lawyer, okay?"_

_"T-the exact s-same office? B-but h-how is that p-possible, even if I do get there?" she whimpered._

_"I'll find you, Mia. Don't worry. No matter where you will be, until then, I promise I'll find you."_

_The two small fingers crossed over with eachother and clenched tight around the other._

_And that was the last she ever saw of him, until today._

* * *

It surprised him how much she had changed since the last time they had met. Her chestnut hair was now up to her arm length, and… she had just grown into such a beautiful woman. He ran a hand through her hair, like he always used to do, and gently held her closer.

"I've missed you, Imouto-chi."

Mia leaned back slightly, a big smile shone on her face upon hearing the familiar nickname he had once given her.

"I can't believe you managed to keep it…the promise, I mean."

"Hey, I never break my promises."

* * *

She marvelled at how much he had matured, yet still had that tiny spark of mischief alight in his eyes, just like when he was a child. Mia clutched the fabric of his light brown suit and lay against his chest, noticing for the first time that he was actually wearing a tie.

"Hmm? Dark green, I never knew you liked that colour." She mused.

"It reminded me of the colour of a magatama, so I guess that's why I wore it. Sort of like a charm to help me find you, yeah?"

She could not spot any differences about her childhood friend at all, apart from him being much taller and… un-childlike. He still possessed his distinctive spiked, silver fringe and sharp emerald eyes. She noticed a white shirt tucked neatly underneath his dark grey suit and forced back a giggle, for she would never had imagined him in work clothes; especially since he always used to wear gi tops. It just didn't suit a member of the Zoren family.

Mia smiled again and forced herself to gently break away from him. "We'd better stop this now, or people will start to get misunderstandings…"

"Ha…! Misunderstandings? What possibly makes you think that?" A cocky voice shot out from behind her.

This time, Mia really did jump up in shock before turning to face none other than Diego Armando, the coffee addict in the flesh.

"W-Would you stop DOING that?!" She growled back at him.

"Doing what?" he asked innocently.

Xekuto stood with an amused expression positioned on his face as he watched the two start bickering. If you could describe bickering as Mia shouting out objections except only to have them 'swayed' aside by the newcomer's coffee mug.

After what seemed like five whole minutes, Diego was the first to realise that someone else other than the two of them was actually standing there, politely waiting for them to finish.

"So, who's this?" He motioned towards Xekuto, with yet another one of his coffee mugs.

"His name is Xekuto, he's been my best friend since I was a little girl." Mia explained, not knowing why she sounded so proud about it.

"I see…" Diego surveyed the newcomer with interest. "You're a defense attorney too?"

"Just about," Xekuto replied back with a dip of his head respectfully, trying to not let the strong coffee smell distract him. "Grossberg just needs to file my resume and everything will be set."

"You mean you're going to work here, that's great!" Mia bounced with enthusiasm.

"Whoa there, Kitten. Don't reveal your claws when you don't need them."

His response was one of her famous glares, causing him to sigh.

"You did quite a good show back there, you know. What, shooting Hammond back and everything; I think you're going to make a heck of a defense attorney." Diego took another sip from his mug.

"I hope I will be of good service to you then, sir." His trained ears noticed the faint, concealed piece of jealousy behind the first remark made by Diego.

Mia held back a giggle upon witnessing the huge contrast between the two of them.

"A-HHEEMM!" The three of them all shared a look before Marvin Grossberg's head poked out from behind the door.

"Xekuto, m'boy, I need to have a word with you back at my office." He glanced at Mia, and Diego, who was innocently sipping his coffee. "You two, no time for couple business, get back to work."

"Wh-WHAT?!" She screamed in fury at the retreating Grossberg head.

Xekuto gave her a shrug and followed his boss into the office. The door clicked shut.

She whipped her head around to stare at Diego, who once again, had that smug look on his face.

"Score." He grinned.

"You…You are SO dead the next time I see you." With that, she charged into the office herself and slammed the door shut in his face.

"I look forward to it, Kitten." He murmured to no one in particular.


	3. Chapter III From Annoyed to Annoying

**Guiding Spirit**

Chapter III – From Annoyed to Annoying

"So, you live in this apartment now, huh?" Xekuto gazed around the room, at the clean furniture and piled up books, in alphabetical order. "Quite neat, as usual, I see." He grinned at her.

She returned his smile. "Thanks, I picked this room because of the view from the window, it's so breathtaking, see?" Mia ran over to open the blinds and show him.

He laughed. "You're acting just like a child wanting to show her parents what she found in the garden, you know that?"

She stuck out her tongue at him, but nevertheless, beckoned him over.

* * *

"I am so sick of that idiotic, coffee addicted, son of a -,"

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. It was just a text message." He held her wrist to stop her from smashing her mobile to smithereens on the wooden floorboards.

"Hmph." She let him take the phone and sat down with a huff on the couch. "Can't he just leave me alone for just one day? I can't believe this…"

"Um… You've only known him for one day, Mia." He pointed out, sitting down beside.

There was a moment's awkward silence, suddenly broken up by Mia throwing a pillow at his face.

"Shut up, Mr. Wise Guy." She said teasingly and attempted to fake suffocate him.

Xekuto suddenly grabbed her wrist, causing her to lose balance and suddenly land in a heap on the other side of the couch by a swift motion of his arm.

"…Darn you and your… karate moves or whatever they're called!" she groaned from underneath a pile of pillows that he was currently still working to build higher.

He grinned down at her once she'd finally managed to pull some away long enough for her to glare at him.

"Hey, I'm proud of being a martial artist." He leaned back on the soft couch whilst waiting for Mia to resurface.

"Why did you go and learn martial arts anyway?" She quickly unruffled her long, brown hair and sat up next to him.

The grin left his face and his whole head turned down, causing his eyes to get hidden by a few tufts of spiked silver hair. Mia was immediately aware of hitting a sensitive topic.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to -," she gabbled.

"Hey, don't worry. I was just being stupid, why, getting all worked up over that small question." He reassured her gently before staring down at his work pants again.  
"Xekuto…what exactly happened?"

There was an awkward break of silence that stretched on for a few heartbeats.

"…Let's leave that story for another time, alright? Now come on." He was suddenly on his feet, causing Mia to jump. "You promised me a decent tour, and believe it or not, I expect one, Imouto-chi."

* * *

"You going anywhere for lunch today, Kitten?"

She gritted her teeth as the pen that she was writing with sailed, yet again out of her hands.

_When. Will. He. Give. Up?_

The piece of stationery rolled straight up to Diego's shining, black shoes, where it stopped neatly at the point of his toe. He took his time in picking it up and walked towards her.

_Oh great, just great. Another day, ruined._

The ever present smell of coffee teased her nostrils as she jerked her head up to glare at him. Mia snatched the pen off his offering hands and hissed; "Can't you just let me work in peace for at least five seconds?!"

"You said it, Kitten." Much to her surprise, he turned on his heels and began walking out of the office, yet to suddenly whirl around and slowly stride up to her again, as if he had forgotten something; which he certainly hadn't, judging by the smug look on his face as he gazed into her eyes.

Mia stared at him. "Wh-What in the name of law was that?"

He scratched his head with an all so well prepared confused look in his eyes as he looked up slowly as if lost. "You said five seconds yourself, Kitten. Or was I half a second off?"

She yelled out in frustration and slumped onto the desk.

"This is pointless, I'll never get a lunchbreak to myself for work." She groaned.

Diego smirked at his victory and decided to continue the conversation with another one of his rhetorical questions. "Hey, Kitten, enlighten me if I'm wrong, but who works during lunchbreak?"

"Objection…" she mumbled from her black satin sleeves. "…The Prime Ministers of the world…"

"Objection overruled, you, yourself are not a Prime Minister."

"Objection," she sat up in her seat, a small smile playing at her lips as her stubborn self got the better of her. "Who said I never wanted to become a Prime Minister?"

"Objection," he grinned as she more assertively joined this absurd, little trial. "You've never mentioned this until now."

"Objection, what if I wanted to keep it a secret?"

"Objection, it is impossible for someone like you to even dream so high."

That did it.

All the liveliness was suddenly drained from Mia's face, her eyes grew strikingly fierce. "What is the reason for this accusation, Mr. Armando?"

The smug expression didn't show it, but inside, a ball of nervousness was rolling around, growing larger and larger in his stomach.

"Well, now, I think that -,"

"Is it because I'm a pitiful girl who can't possibly do anything in this world resting in the hands of men such as yourself, well? Is it?!"

"Hey, Kitten. You know I never meant tha -,"

"Well?!"

He sighed, taking another agonizingly long sip of coffee to regain his composure. "It was a joke, Ms. Fey."

That stopped Mia right in her tracks, it was the first time this smart mouthed man had ever called her by her actual name. An awkward silence followed, broken only by Diego's quiet sips from his white mug.

"Am I interrupting something?" The voice shocked Mia into nearly dropping her pen again as she turned around to face Xekuto.

He had a slightly concerned expression upon his face, there was a lunch tray in his hands holding seemingly what appeared to be two servings of food and drinks from the local café.

"…No! Nothing at all!" She turned her face so that Xekuto could not see another one of her glares that was, of course, aimed at Diego. "Everything's fine." She faced him with an almost painful smile.

"I…see," The concerned took slowly morphed to an amused chuckle as he set the tray down. "Here, I hope your taste for mayonnaise with chicken hasn't changed over the past few years."

"Oh, no! Of course not!" Mia's mood changed completely as she gazed at the unexpected meal, the message finally registering in her brain; "Oh…! I am so sorry! You… shouldn't have…bought this…" The words came tumbling out between slight pauses as she tried to regain her composure.

Xekuto chuckled softly. "It's my job to make sure you eat properly, your thirst for knowledge seems to come before H2O itself!"

Mia puffed out her cheeks in an attempt to seem annoyed, only to burst into laughter when she saw the unbelieving expression on his face.

"What are you trying to do, imitate a puffer fish?"

"…Shut up!"

He grinned back happily, realising how much he had missed just sharing moments, special moments, just like this, with her. After pushing Mia down to her seat, he realised that Diego was still standing where he was left.

"Would you care to join us, Mr. Armando?"

Mia stiffened, and seemed extremely interested in her sandwich all of sudden.

"…No, the offer's flattering but I simply must decline. I didn't want to ruin this aura you've created…" The defense attorney abruptly turned away from the both of them and began walking out of the room.

A small gnawing sensation of doubt was warning him to stop speaking, but he knew he couldn't leave it like this. Glancing at Mia's suspecting eyes, he called out to the retreating back.

"How about the same time tomorrow then?" Diego stopped all of a sudden, but he didn't face Xekuto.

"Do you think you could let an inexperienced person such as myself to learn a few tricks from the famous attorney, Diego Armando?"

"…Fine. I'll see you tomorrow then." Xekuto's choice of words seemed to have gotten to him. He closed the door behind him as soon as the sentence was finished.

"What's with him?" Mia was positively fuming. "He tries to hit on me, nags at me everyday, addresses me as 'Kitten', and now he has a grudge on you!" She banged her desk in frustration, nearly knocking over the tray of food.

Xekuto's hands were on her shoulders in an instant, trying to calm her down.

"Whoa there, if I'm not mistaken. Most of the stuff that you just mentioned is directed towards you, am I wrong?"

Mia took a bite out of her sandwich pointedly.

"…Hmm, guess you're just being self-centred."

"I am NOT being self centred!" She shot back after swallowing her mouthful.

"Sure, I believe you."

She grabbed hold of a nearby book and attempted to hit him with it, only as a joke of course. He blocked the attack skilfully without even looking up from his drink.

"You know, sometimes I really hate you." She sighed and slumped back into her seat.

"Ha…!" His imitation of the coffee addict was perfect, causing Mia to groan and drop her head against the table.

"I'm not your first victim, Imouto-chi."  
***


	4. Chapter IV Jealousy

**Guiding Spirit**

**Chapter IV - Jealousy**

"What is your relationship with her?"

"What do you mean? We're just childhood friends."

His next few words were laced with envy and annoyance. "Then why are you still hanging around her if you were just _childhood_ friends?"

"I'm afraid you've got the wrong idea, Mr. Armando." He shot back coldly. "If you really want to know so much about us, why don't you come tomorrow?"

"…Fine, where do we meet?" He was already walking away.

"Same place where you first met her, sir."

Xekuto heard the door closing behind him and sighed. He hadn't expected encountering Diego again before the next appointed day.

* * *

"_Now, now, everyone; could you all please just…" a scrunched up piece of paper sailed through the air and hit the form teacher squarely in the nose. "…QUIET DOWN, PLEASE!"_

_As boisterous and unfocused as they were, the classroom fell silent and waited for their rather short tempered teacher to continue._

"_Thank you, now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He attempted to smile which failed horribly and turned into somewhat of a grimace. "We have a new student joining us today."_

"_Great, another victim." Someone moaned, not at all trying to lower his voice. _

_She sat with a straight poise at her seat, not knowing how she should react as most of the class turned their heads down to stare at random doodles on their desks. Glancing across the room, she noticed how Lana, top of the class, was the only one who was giving her full attention to the form room teacher. _

_**I mustn't lose to her… **_

_She subconsciously lifted her head a little higher just as the door at the right hand side of the room slid open. It was the principal, Mrs. Skinner, briskly guiding in a young blonde teenage boy with his hair sticking stubbornly upwards. Many of the girls instantly dropped their pens from doodling and whispered amongst themselves like any normal class would._

"_Oh my gosh, look at him!" one squealed._

"_Isn't he the cutest thing ever?"_

"_What's up with his hair…? Not that I mind, it looks cooler that way! No wait, he's definitely my type!" _

"_He's so gorgeous…"_

_And the list goes on. The chestnut haired girl sighed and tried to refocus her attention onto the boy and not his 'fangirls'' pointless bickering. It was just at that instant that he turned to face the class and coincidentally stared her right in the eyes. Hazel brown against emerald green. It caused her to look away. _

_She felt a sudden jolt of nostalgia hit her, and wasn't sure what it meant._

"_Ah, excellent. Here he is. Our new student." The teacher quickly regained his composure and turned to face the boy. "Make yourself feel at home, why don't you introduce yourself to the class?"_

_A light flush rose to the boy's cheeks as he showed his bashful self to everyone seated. A few of the girls cooed and tried to get his attention. He managed a small smile, as he realised the only one who wasn't swooning over him seemed to be the owner of those hazel eyes._

"_Hello everyone." He managed. "My name is…"_

* * *

"…She's…late." He murmured, glancing about as if expecting Mia to come out of hiding from behind an office desk.

"Yes, it seems so."

Xekuto was aware of Diego's eyes boring holes on his face, over that same white coffee mug of his. He sat up straight, refusing to be intimidated by this man who assumed such things in an instant.

"So, how long have you worked here, Mr. Armando?" He asked, a cheery smile on his face as he tried to lighten up the atmosphere.

"About ten years." His answers were short, blunt and simple, careful and not revealing anything that wasn't specifically asked.

"How did you come by Mr. Grossberg?"

Diego shrugged. "By chance." He sipped his coffee.

This isn't working, Xekuto thought to himself.

"So…I heard that you~,"

"Enough, Mr. Zoren, if it's alright that I called you that." Diego placed his leg that was originally dangling off his other one upon the floor and sat up straight.

Xekuto gave him a confused look, a small knot forming in this stomach.

"I meant enough about me. Let's hear some of your history."

"What possibly is there to tell, sir? I don't have a very interesting background."

"Oh, I think you do." Diego's eyes continued to bore into him. "I've found some rather… fishy snippets of information after some research."

His face completely lost its conversation stirring smile as he finally met the defence attorney's dark brown eyes.

"You researched me, sir?"

"Yes, and I found some data that appears to match with another completely different person's information…"

Only many years of training restrained Xekuto from flinching at that precise moment. He managed to continue looking confused.  
"Whatever do you mean?"

Armando continued as if he had not heard him. "…matching information of Mia Fey's former classmate, actually."

"I… don't understand…"

"Are you familiar with the name Ryu Seron?"

"I'm sorry?"

This so called 'act' the man was playing on was amazing; not showing a single hint or recognition whilst the truth was right there in front of his face. Diego silently praised him.

"A college student's resumee dated back five years ago matches yours completely. You could mistake them for a photocopy of one another if you were not to look at the photo or name." Armando set his now empty coffee mug down upon the desk and leaned forward slightly. "Could you please explain as to why that is?"

"…Well, I…,"

"Food's here! Sorry, I'm late!" A cheery voice cut Xekuto off as a large tray of food was set down with such a bang that it forced Armando's coffee cup to titter dangerously at the edge of the desk. The person who carried out this action didn't even seem to notice.

"Did you have to wait for long?" A rather flustered Mia Fey tried briefly and failed to straighten her chestnut coloured hair and tan scarf. "I had thought that we were meeting in the library until I remembered that this was a lunch."

"It's fine." Xekuto's expression remained unchanged, his gaze seemed to be burning a hole on the carpet floor and his voice was unusually dull. "No need to blame yourself."

Armando stopped the mug's shaking with an audible clank, no cocky remark or smile followed.

Mia glanced to and from the two seated men. Something was horribly wrong.

The promised lunch never proceeded. It ended quite abruptly before it even began when Xekuto unexpectedly stood and excused himself from the table with what appeared to be an urgent errand. Mia stared after him, knowing fully well that that wasn't the case. She turned to face her mentor.

"You said something to upset him, didn't you?"

"Me? Why of course not, Kitten. What could I have possibly done to…"

He was cut off as his head was forced onto its side when it made contact with Mia's palm. She had slapped him hard on the cheek, with tears in her furious eyes.

"H-How dare you…! First you wanted to flirt with me into…submission! And now you're taking it out on someone who just so happens to have a better relationship than me? What is WRONG with you?"

She stood up from her seat in a flash and turned her back on the speechless man.

"I'm going to have a word with Grossberg. I no longer desire your teachings."

"Wha…? No, look, I'm sorry! Kitten…!"

She suddenly turned to face him, her eyes inches from his own.

"Don't. You. Dare. Call. Me. That…ever again."

And with that, she left him and her discarded tray in the cafeteria and left the building.

* * *

Mia ran as fast as she could, and soon caught up with the retreating back of her best friend through his office door.

"Xekuto…! Are you alright?"

His expression lightened considerably upon realising who it was calling out for him.

"Mia? What are you doing here? I thought you were having lunch with…"

He was suddenly silenced when she wrapped her arms tightly around him, and her angry tears leaked from her eyes, and wet his skin.

"M-Mia?! What's wrong?" He guided her into the office, closed the door and seated her down on the small couch.

"I-I'm sorry. Oh, gosh. I'm such a mess. And I-I should be the one comforting you."

"No…shh, it's fine. Hey," He gently removed her hands covering her face and gently cradled her in his arms.

"Tell me what's up."

"…Well. I just slapped the most arrogant JERK in the world in the face, so frankly, I'm feeling quite pleased with myself."

"Um. …what?"

The blunt question did it for Mia, and she burst out laughing.

Xekuto blinked and then smiled, deciding to go along with it.


	5. Chapter V Childhood Trauma

**Chapter 5 - Childhood Trauma**

"What do you mean 'no'?!" Mia slammed her boss' desk hard with the palm of her hands, the same way she'd seen people do it in the many court session videos she'd stayed up late at night to watch.  
"I can't stand being with that arrogant, cocky…AIRHEAD any longer? Why can't _you_ teach me?"

"I'm too busy for that, Mia m'dear." Grossberg's moustache bristled as he sighed.

"I already have many pupils to take care of. This is Armando's first time and he's probably just getting used to teaching. Give him a chance."

Getting used to teaching?! Yeah, right. More like getting used to training himself to hitting on members of the opposite sex…

"I know you're finding this difficult. But you have to be patient, that's an outstanding trait of a lawyer. You will come across unexpected circumstances and find it not easy to deal with some of the clients you will receive in the future."

"…Fine. Sorry for bothering you." Mia dipped her head respectfully and walked briskly out of his office.

* * *

"Now, what am I going to do?"

"Well, I suggest you just listen to what Mr. Grossberg said, and stick with the…"

"But I CAN'T do that! Can't you understand that I'm being mentally tortured just trying to _talk_ to the guy?!"

Lana Skye sighed and rested her elbows on the café table, her brow furrowed. The red muffler she was wearing shifted slightly as she repositioned herself in her seat.  
"Look, Mia. You wanted my advice, and I gave it to you. There's nothing else you can do about it. You just need to adapt to this…unique working environment. And everything'll be fine."

Mia groaned inwardly. But she kept silent. Lana was right. It technically wasn't her friend's fault that this was happening to her.  
"I'm sorry, Lana." Mia said helplessly. "I just don't think I can."

Lana leaned across the table and stared Mia in the eyes.  
"Mia Fey. I've been with you for more than two years now, we've studied in the same high school…and at the same year level, if that doesn't tell you anything then I don't think you have what it takes to be a lawyer."

Mia blew a strand of her fringe out of her eyes.  
"So what if I skipped a few grades during high school? You were still better than me at everything…"

"Not from the way I see it. Academically, yes, I did score a few points higher than you. But you approached each hurdle and difficulty with a creativity and 'out of the box' way that completely overshadowed my work. You can accomplish anything, in your own style, if you just persevere."

"L-Lana…" Mia was shocked. This was the first time her best friend had ever admitted that she was better than her in some way or the other. The two were rivals in school, and though they shared a strong friendship, never let the other take the chance of nabbing first place.

"I know you can do it." Lana sipped her tea and smiled for the first time in many months.

"You're a talented woman."

* * *

"Ehhhh? But isn't that great, Sis? Lana complimented you!" Her sister's hyper active voice sang through the ear piece, tugging at Mia's lips and pulling it into an unwilling grin.

"She hasn't done that in like, a HUNDRED years!"

"Maya. Lana hasn't been alive for a hundred years." She chuckled, affectionately teasing her sister.

"I just think that she only said what she did to boost my ego…"

"That's not true! I'm sure it came from the heart!"

"But…"

"Did your magatama shake or anything when she said it?"

"Eh…? No…it didn't."

"Exactly! Aunt Morgan explained to me the other day that our magatamas can sense it when people are exaggerating things or if they're lying! And since Miss Lana didn't trigger anything, she was telling the truth!"

"Wow, I'm impressed, Maya. You really listened that time, huh?"

"Hmm, yeah. Though I forgot to take it down on scroll again…I'll probably forget it soon…"

"Well, what do YOU think, Maya?"

"…I'd say to go along with what the professionals say and..."

"Frankly, I don't really care what you should do, Mystic Mia." The warm voice of her sister suddenly changed to the cold demeanor of her aunt.

"A-Aunt Morgan!" Mia gasped, horrified that they had been found out.

"You have already caused enough trouble to the family by choosing to abandon us to pursue your 'lawyer' interests. I suggest you do no more harm to corrupt young Mystic Maya's mind with your brainwashing."

"A-Aunt Morgan, that's horrible! Sis would never…!"

Morgan didn't seem to have heard her niece and continued to speak into the phone to a stunned Mia.

"If you have anything else you wish to say, it would be worth your while to send it by letter. All correspondence from outside of Kurain will be going through me. So don't think you will be able to contact this village the way you could when my sister was still here. I'll have you know that things have changed…and you no longer have the right."  
Before Mia could reply, a dull beep sounded from the other end of the phone, and she knew she had been cut off.

And just her luck, one Diego Armando chose that exact moment to walk into the office.

She turned to him and gave him a haunting stare.

"What do you want…?" She hissed in a whisper.

There was no sign of his arrogant attitude as he closed the door quietly behind him. His face was stony as he looked down toward the carpet, contrasting greatly to the impression Mia had of him.

In fact, he wasn't even holding his ever present coffee mug.  
"I…came to apologise again for what happened yesterday…" He said quietly.

"…Get out."

"Mia…please." He managed to look up and into her furious eyes, and was shocked to see angry tears present in them. She, in turn, was surprised that he used her first name.

"Mr. Armando." She said shakily.  
"This is not a good time. I've got…work to do." Mia hurriedly turned away so that he could not see silent tears crawl down her cheeks and lowered herself to retrieve some case files she had left on her work desk. The act failed altogether when salty droplets fell from her eyes and onto the sheets of paper.  
She heard him hesitate, and then walk closer to her. Mia sighed, wiping her hands across her face to remove the tears that betrayed her. She still refused to face him.

"…Mia. What's wrong?" He asked.

"What's wrong? Ha…!" She finally turned to glare at him, with a fine imitation of his bark like laugh, which stunned him into silence.

"I've just been told off by my _precious_ aunt that I'm nothing but a nuisance to my home town, had my own boss reject me when I asked him if he could teach me instead of the current_ pervert_ that's watching over me and now that very same person, who just so happens to be the ONLY person I can't stand to see in this law firm, coming to apologise to me to protect his STUPID MALE PRIDE!"  
She bellowed the last words, not caring anymore, not caring about anything but the fact that she had to release all the mixed emotions that had been bottled up inside her since the lunch invitation.

Diego stood there rigidly, unable to speak a word.

Several heartbeats later, Mia was sobbing fitfully with her arms crossed on her work desk.  
"Y-You…stupid…imbecile…" she croaked, her throat clenching with every word.  
"Why…can't you just mind your own business? Leave Xekuto alone? …Leave ME alone?"

"B-Because I care about…." He started weakly.

"GOD DAMMIT, DIEGO!" She suddenly yelled, causing him to jump and crash into the side of the couch he had been resting on. This was the first time she had ever called him by his first name. And he took the warning to shut his mouth until her side of the conversation was over.

"Why did you have to come into my life?! Why did you have to ruin everything?!" Mia stood up, the next sentence crushing her own heart as she screamed at him.  
"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO EXIST?!"

She stopped suddenly, her eyes unnaturally confused and clouded.  
Diego stared at her, uncomprehending what was happening to his pupil as she slid to her knees and looked at her own hands, seemingly appalled at herself.

Four years of training as an attorney at law helped Diego click the pieces together in his mind.  
What she said just then, wasn't thought up on the spot, nor was it planned.  
It was something that she herself had heard before.

And she was merely repeating it.

Mia breathed out and in rapidly, her hands coming to her face and her whole body shaking.

"…I-I'm sorry…" she whimpered, staring across Diego and at some invisible force in the room.  
"M-Mia?" Even all that experience as a lawyer didn't prepare the attorney for what happened next.  
Mia crawled shakily to the corner of the room and cowered there.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…please don't be mad…I'm sorry…"

"Mia, what's wrong? God, Mia. Stop scaring me!" Diego tried to walk towards her to comfort her, but suddenly felt a hard pressure on his shoulder.  
He turned around and his brown eyes met emerald.

"Trust me, she needs to be left alone." Xekuto said quietly.

"B-But, look at her, what on earth is happening? What is she so scared of…?"

"It's something that's happened before." Xekuto continued calmly and stood slightly closer to his sobbing friend.

"When we were children, we had to sneak out to play together because of the rivalry and bitterness between our families. And once, Mia was caught by her aunt and severely punished when they found out that she had been seeing me." He knelt down to Mia's level but didn't go any nearer.

"Whenever Mia's mother went out, her aunt would keep her in an enclosed room, allowing her to speak to no one and even resorting to whipping her if she misbehaved in any way Morgan believed need to be disciplined."  
Diego learned two things from this; one, Mia was mentally scarred and was now suffering from past traumas, and two, her childhood had been totally barbaric.

Xekuto turned towards the older attorney once more.

"She also has a little sister, Maya, who she's been looking after ever since her father passed away and her mother disappeared."

"Her…parents are…?"

"Mia never shows her weak side to anybody. She always stays strong and only lets out her true feelings when she's alone. But I guess such loneliness cannot be bottled up forever."

"I…didn't know."  
Xekuto gazed at Diego with eyes full of empathy.

"Go to her."

"Wh-what…?"

"I think this is something that the two of you need. It may just be the thing that'll give her reason to forgive you for that little incident the other day."

"Shouldn't you be the one? I bet she trusts you way more than me…"  
"No. I believe that this is something the two of you need to solve yourselves." Xekuto slowly walked away from Mia and waited behind Diego.

Taking a deep breath, the older attorney made his way as slow and quietly as possible towards his cowering pupil. She seemed to have calmed down slightly and had removed her hands that were covering her eyes. But her body was still shivering with fright.

"Mia…are you alright?" Diego said gently.

"P-Please, don't hurt me again…I'll be good, I promise." Her pleading voice was almost childlike.

Diego's heart ached at seeing her like this; so helpless and despairing.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help you." And on impulse, he wrapped his arms around her.

"M-Mr. Armando…?" Her clouded vision cleared slightly and she was finally back in the present.

"I don't care if you never accept me into your life. I don't even care if you refuse to study under me anymore. What I do care about is what will make you happy. If that involves me never coming near you again, then I'll do as I'm told. But that doesn't stop me from worrying about you, Mia." He took a deep breath before saying the next few words, for they were probably done so in a way that was the more sincere he had ever said under this roof.  
"You're…important to me."

"M-Mr. Armando…"

Mia collapsed onto him, and blacked out.


	6. Chapter VI The Bandage on his Cheek

**Guiding Spirit**

**Chapter VI – The Bandage on his Cheek**

Mia awoke under her covers in her apartment. She shook her head slightly in an attempt to clear it. What on earth had happened? The last thing she could remember was a ball of fury building up inside of her as she took out her anger on Diego…

_Oh my God._  
She slapped a hand to her mouth in horror. What had she DONE?  
She had yelled at her mentor and told him he shouldn't EXIST!

"Oh, God. I'm so going to get fired for this…"

"No one's getting fired." A weary voice spoke from the door that just opened.

Mia jumped and nearly fainted again. She drew her covers up to herself protectively and stared at the man in the flesh.

"M-Mr. Armando…I don't know what came over me… I'm so so sorry…" she managed to croak feebly.

"No need to apologise, Mia. It wasn't really your fault." Diego seated himself on a chair beside her bed. "Your friend, Zoren, explained everything to me."

"H-He did…?" Mia's twisted heart unwound slightly. Trust Xekuto to clear things up for her when she wasn't even aware he was involved with the situation. She made a mental note to herself to go thank him in person later.

After a moment's silence, Diego placed his mug of coffee on the bedside table and leaned towards (though not too closely) to his shaken pupil.

"How are you feeling, alright?"

His soft, caring tone surprised Mia even more. She had never seen this side of him before, and it…warmed her heart slightly.

"I'm…fine." She managed, and looked away from him, embarrassed.

"You're sure? You weren't yourself when you…lost control." He swallowed and then continued in a gentle tone. "Zoren is waiting outside, if you need him that is."

"I…think I'm alright for the time being."  
There was an uncomfortable silence.

And Diego finally broke it.

"Mia. I'm not sure if you heard me the first time because you had…fallen ill…so I'll tell you again; I'm really sorry for everything…"

"…"

"…for being a condescending, inconsiderate, lowlife who…"

"Took every chance he got to hit on new female workers, being a jackass, a complete jerk to new workers in general and poking his arrogant nose into things he shouldn't be involved in?" Mia finished the sentence for him, the slight hint of a smile on her weary face.

Diego swallowed.

"Yes…everything you just stated was completely accurate."

"Then, that's enough for me. Apology accepted."

He sighed with relief and returned her smile. A sincere smile, with no trace of cockiness at all.

Xekuto listened from outside the door, relieved that everything had turned out so well. He admitted to himself silently that he had been terrified upon witnessing Mia back in her state. Given that the last time he had witnessed her like that was back when they were children…

* * *

"_You…DARE continue to disobey me?!" Morgan's shrill voice was followed by screams of pain as she brought the whip down onto her niece._

"_I'm sorry…I'M SORRY, HELP…PLEASE…STOP…!" Mia cried out desperately whilst trying to shield the blows with her bleeding arms over her head._

"_No need to worry about the wounds, Mia dear…" Morgan stopped the whipping all of a sudden and pasted a sickly sweet smile on her face that chilled Mia to the bone. "We'll just have you wear that other spare medium training uniform, it has longer sleeves after all."_

"_Y-Yes, Aunt M-Morgan." Mia sobbed and bowed her head before her._

"_Now, I want you to tell me the truth…where were you this afternoon?"_

"_I…I was…"_

"_Were you hanging out with that ZOREN BOY?"_

"…_Y-Yes…but I…"_

_Before she could defend herself Mia was dragged by her collar up towards the ceiling by Morgan's vice like grip and held at arm's length, barely able to breathe._

"_How many times do I have to tell you…before you learn that all members of the Zoren family are nothing but scum?!"_

_She threw her niece to the ground, ignoring her fitful sobs as she raised her whip once more._

"_Why…did you have to come into existence, Mia Fey?!" She brought it down, striking her hard on the head and causing her to howl in pain._

"_Everything was finally going well, until YOU came…! Why did you have to ruin my life? WHY DO YOU EXIST?!"_

_Morgan threw the whip down with extreme force to strike her battered niece once more, but it never made contact with her._

_Instead, it had looped itself around a young boy's wrist and was being pulled away from her._

"_Y-You…!" Morgan stared with shock at him, almost letting go of her whip altogether._

"_Leave Mia alone." He said quietly, letting go of the whip and letting it snap with a crackle to the ground._

_Mia realised that her friend had come to save her and shakily stood up. She grabbed a fistful of his clothing and leaned into his back, weeping in earnest._

"_You…arrogant little…BRAT!" she held the whip high above her head once more._

"_If you're going to get in my way, then FINE, don't blame me when your face is being reassembled!"_

CRACK

_The whip hit him with force, but he didn't even flinch.  
Mia gasped with horror as the side of his cheek where the leather had made contact with his flesh began swelling and reddening to an ugly shade of magenta, spots of blood also appeared on his torn skin.  
Even Morgan was stunned and could do nothing but stare at him._

"_Apologies," he murmured, reaching a cupped hand to touch his cheek and wipe at his wound.  
"I didn't mean to 'waltz in' here and effectively __**bleed**__ on your floor."_

"_You…son of a…"_

"_That's quite enough, Sister. I don't think that's appropriate in front of the children."_

_Morgan almost cricked her neck to look up and into the ice cold eyes of Misty Fey._

_"Might I kindly ask you what in the name of Ami you are doing to my daughter?"_

* * *

The rest of the memory was clouded since Xekuto had to carry a whimpering Mia outside and hold her until she fell unconscious. The last thing he remembered about that day was waking up under a shaded tree with her beside him placing a bandage on the side of his cheek.

He fingered the area where that had been without thinking.

That scar had remained for quite some time.

Xekuto sighed and sank into the couch in Mia's apartment with his fingers digging into his silver hair.

He was still wearing the bandage the day his family ceased to exist.


	7. Chapter VII Black Tiger

**Guiding Spirit**

**Chapter VII – Black Tiger**

"…_Ryu …" He said quietly, as the form teacher wrote his name in Japanese kanji on the blackboard behind him.  
"My name is Ryu Seron."_

_Mia blinked and looked the boy in the eye, her hands unconsciously tightening around her school skirt.  
Why did he look so familiar?_

"_It's to have you join us, Mr. Seron. Please take the empty seat behind the second row."_

_Ryu hesitantly walked there and seated himself right behind her. Once the teacher's back was turned, all the other classmates resumed their noisy chatter once more. Most of them pointing and giggling at the new student._

_Mia sighed and turned towards him._

_No use being rude, it's not his fault everyone's fawning over him. He's probably terrified someone's going to pounce on him…_

_She extended a hand towards him and smiled warmly._

"_My name's Mia Fey. I can show you around the school at lunchbreak if you want."_

_Ryu looked up gratefully at her and returned her kind gesture._

"_I would appreciate that very much, thank you."_

* * *

"Xekuto…?"

He jerked up to see her crouched next to him, a concerned look on her face and a hand reaching towards him to touch his cheek.

"Are you alright?" she murmured.

"I-I'm fine…" He managed and sat himself up straight on the couch.

"Where's Armando?"

"He already left. I asked him to since it was getting late."

"Ah, alright then. Guess I'll be going too then…"

"No, wait." Mia suddenly placed both her hands on his shoulders to stop him from standing up from the couch.

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem very shaken…"

"It's fine, really. I was just having a…daydream…that's all."

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Seriously, Mia; I'm alright!" He chuckled lightly and ruffled her hair affectionately.  
"If I wasn't I'll definitely tell you!"

"Yeah, okay…" She finally gave in and let go of him.

"Where are you living now?"

"Um…I'm going to look for a hotel nearby and…"

"What?! You haven't settled down in an apartment yet? That's terrible! And it's already so late too, it's dangerous out there in the streets at night!"

"Mia, I have a black belt in martial arts and can hear a butterfly's wing beat if I listen close enough. Do you really think someone like me would consider any of that a threat?"

"Hmph, you're one to talk when I just spotted you dozing off on my couch and not being able to hear MY "wing beats" until I was close enough to strangle you."

"Oh boy…" Xekuto ran a hand through his silver hair and gave her a weak smile. He had thought of suggesting that Mia didn't have wings to begin with, but decided against it.

"Armando was right about you, you really do have claws."

"Well?" Mia's hands were on her hips. She looked slightly less intimidating since she was in her pyjamas.

"I'm not going to let you out of this building until tomorrow morning. You have to spend the night here."

Xekuto raised his hands above his hand, both to stretch and to surrender.

"Fine, you win. Where am I sleeping then?"

"Since you already found it comfortable enough to doze off on it, you can have the couch. I'll go grab some covers for you." She turned on the spot and briskly walked into her room and opened the doors of the cupboard.

"Alright, alright." He grinned and took off his grey coat and laid it on his makeshift bed.

"If all goes well this will be our second secret sleepover."

"I'd like to think of it as our first since the other happened in a tree house." Mia returned with a large bundle of quilt and pillow and tossed it into his chest, catching him in surprise and nearly bowling him over.

Xekuto noticed the tiger patterns on the quilt and stiffened slightly. To his surprise, Mia noticed.

"What's wrong? Did Maya spill her ramen soup on it or something?"

"What…? No, no, everything's fine!" He said, a little too quickly.

Mia cocked an eyebrow at him and felt the magatama around her neck tremble slightly. She jumped back as the room suddenly darkened and long metal chains suddenly wound their way around her friend, crossing in the middle and forming a bright red lock which clicked into place.

She stared at him, gaping at the sight.

Xekuto however hadn't noticed a thing.

"Mia…? Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…! Sorry, just got a migraine, I think I better get to bed…"

She didn't move a step as he gave her a confused look and then turned his back to her to arrange his bed. The large metal lock stayed in place, and Mia suddenly recalled what Maya had said to her earlier on the phone.

**_Magatamas can sense when people are exaggerating things or if they're lying…_**

Mia forced herself to head back into her room, and the chains and locks finally disappeared. The lighting of the room returned back to its original state.

_Xekuto's…lying to me?_

* * *

"_You're after the Midnight Tigress, Son." The old bartender wiped a rag into the beer glass he was holding and placed it back on the shelf._

"_Midnight…Tigress?"_

"_She's the head of a gang of expert assassins. Heard they recently did a big job, and made a tonne of cash on it too."_

_The young boy's fists clenched on the table, his turquoise pupils shrunk in fury._

"_You best not be messing with the Midnight Tigress, young man. They're nothin' but trouble."_

"_Yeah, no kidding." _

"_Hmm, sounds like y'er got a grudge against them…Someone you know got killed by them?"_

"…_Yeah. You could say that."_

* * *

Mia couldn't sleep that night. She kept thinking about what it was that had triggered Xekuto's psyche locks and tossed and turned in her bed, trying to work it out in her brain.

"It was…that tiger pattern on the quilt I lent him…" She murmured quietly to herself.

"It must have something to do with that…"

Silently, she crept out of bed and walked to the couch he was sleeping at. He looked so peaceful with his eyes closed and turned onto his side. Without thinking, she reached out a hand and caressed his cheek gently.

He responded to her touch and leaned into her hand, still asleep.  
"Oh, Xekuto…what happened that caused you to leave? Why can't you tell me?" She whispered and knelt beside him, reaching upwards and stroking his soft hair.

Her magatama gave a feeble twitch once more, sensing her anxiety. Mia decided then that she would do whatever she could to uncover the truth, and help Xekuto walk out of the past.

She silently drew the quilt up closer to him to cover his shoulders, making sure he wouldn't catch a cold and then walked back into her room. Mia then set up her laptop on her knees and crawled back into bed. She racked her brain for keywords she could use to begin her research as she waited for the computer to start up.

_Tiger…Zoren family…_

She tried these three words by typing them into the search engine, but all that came up was myths about a tiger spirit and some other separate web pages that were named after the Zoren family.

_Head of Zoren family…d…_

She had meant to type in 'disappearance' to refer to Xekuto, but a side bar of most popular searched queries for those terms appeared, causing her to nearly fall off her bed.

_Head of Zoren family…death…_

"D-Death…?" She asked no one in particular and, with her heart knotted in fear, clicked the link into the website.

It was written by a reporter, and there was only two pictures on the entire site.

The first was of a blackened village. All the buildings had been destroyed by a horrendous fire and nothing was still intact. Mia gasped as she saw piles of dead bodies spread here and there, some of them were only children.  
The label underneath the gruesome photo read:

"_Original photo of the assassination aftermath. Taken on August, 2001"_

Mia stared at the sentence, wishing it would magically open up another article detailing the incident. From this she finally learned the reason for Xekuto's leaving.

His entire village had been assassinated and he had fled for his life.

Or that's what she thought at the current moment.

She knew she couldn't draw that conclusion just yet, however good the argument sounded.

Mia scrolled down the site, and her eyes were instantly captivated by the second image.

It was the combination of a black tiger and the full moon.  
The two were mixed together in some sort of terrifying mutation.

The caption beneath it read.

"_Work of the Midnight Tigress."_

And then Mia understood. She closed her laptop lid as quietly as she could and stared with tears in her eyes at her sleeping friend.

The Zoren family had been assassinated by an organization called 'Midnight Tigress'.

Xekuto had lost his family, his home.

And out of fear of losing anyone else close to him.

Of losing his one and only friend, Mia.

He had gone into hiding.

All to protect her.


	8. Chapter VIII Dragon Tattoo

**Guiding Spirit**

**Chapter VIII – Ryu Seron**

He seemed to be floating in nothingness, purple veil and mist surrounded him and parted ways when he attempted to move around.

He couldn't physically move though…

It seemed to work better when he wished for it.

_Where am I…?_

**Child of Man. I am surprised you are able to sense my presence.**

He looked up wearily.  
_You've been…suspended in mid air over there for as long as I can remember._

_And this isn't the first time I've dreamed about you._

_Don't you think it would seriously worrying if I hadn't noticed you?_

**Well, most people cannot sense my presence.**

_Cannot sense your presence?_

The young attorney cocked an eyebrow.

_You talk as if you're not human._

**Heh…that's because I'm not.**

He blinked and sighed quietly.  
_Are you Ryu?  
_**No…though I do know him…very well.**

_What…you're another one of my relatives? _

**Not exactly…no.**

**Though I do have control…  
Over the person most precious to you…**

_What…do you mean?_

**I…decide when she dies.**

* * *

"Xekuto?!"

He flung open his eyes with a gasp and realised he was on the floor, with his quilt tangled all around him. Mia was crouched next to him, a hand to her mouth and tears of shock present on her face.

"What…happened?" He mumbled and straightened himself up.

"Y-You…were crying out and writhing on the floor." She said softly and helped him up.

"Is…that so…"  
"Um…Xekuto?"  
"…Yeah?"

"Why…is there a dragon on your back?"

Xekuto's eyes widened and glanced behind him. He didn't need to see it, he could feel it prickling on his skin.  
"It's…a mark given to all members of the Zoren family…" He muttered, but didn't seem too sure of himself all of a sudden.

"Oh, I see…Is it supposed to burning like that?" Mia realised there was heat radiating from the imprint.

"Er…yeah…hang on. I better go check on it." He pulled on his shirt properly and then headed towards the bathroom at a brisk walk.  
"Since I'm an exorcist, it might be reacting to some bad spirit or something." He joked and closed the door behind him.

* * *

"Well? What is it? You didn't have to show this side of me in front of _her_."

A faded figure of a long haired man around Xekuto's age appeared beside him. He had blood red eyes and a tanned yellow shade of hair.

Ryu Seron stretched and admired the apartment's bathroom.

"_I was getting bored…and was wondering when you'd get together with her."_ He said cheerfully.

"Get together with her? Are you insane?!" Xekuto glared at his ancestor.  
"I didn't allow you access to my body just to mock and torment me…"

"_True, very true…so, when can I…y'know…take control again?"_

"Not anytime soon. She's not ready to know yet."

_"Know what? That her best friend is actually her other best friend from high school?"_

"Yes…but…"

"_And that he's been secretly keeping an eye on her like some kind of guardian angel and has been lying to her about his true identity all this time?"_

"Shut up."

"_Alright then, brother. But it's your funeral. Besides…"_

Ryu's eyes suddenly grey unnaturally serious.

_"She was researching the 'Midnight Tigress' last night whilst you were asleep."_

Xekuto flinched and stared at Ryu's reflection in the mirror.

"You're…not joking about this, are you?"

Ryu looked a lot more menacing than he had been when he first appeared.

"_You think I would muck about when I talk about the assassin responsible for wiping out my family? No, I'm not joking."_

"Oh…God…" He leaned against the glass of the mirror and stared with a dazed expression at himself.  
"How on earth am I going to work my way out of this one?"

"…Xekuto?"

He jumped, and realised Mia was knocking at the bathroom door.

"Are you alright?" Her voice came through slightly muffled.

"You've been in there for quite a while."

"Yeah…I'm fine, really…" He muttered and hurriedly whispered to Ryu.

"I'll talk to you later, when I'm alone. You are NOT to appear when I'm in front of anyone else, do you understand?"

"_Sure…but you do know we can just talk telepathically."_

"I don't care. You distract me whenever you make an extrance."

"_Ohh, I see…You're really into me, aren't you?" _And suddenly his teasing, insensitive self was back.

"…Just get out."

"_Fine, later, Xe-kun!"_

"You sure you're okay?" Mia asked him with concern in her eyes as he exited the bathroom.

"I'm sure, it's no big deal. I was right about the spirit thing." He grinned at her and unexpectedly embraced her, causing her to jump slightly in pleasant surprise.  
"And it was a very annoying one too…"


	9. Chapter IX The Memory of a Turnabout

**Chapter IX – The Memory of a Turnabout**

"Mia, I really don't think this is a good idea…"

"Mr. Armando…I've already been studying under you for a month now…and I HAVE to get some experience!"

"But honestly, a murder case on your first go? This is a bit too much, don't you think?"

"No. I don't think so."

"…"

Diego Armando sighed and set down his coffee mug to straighten up from his seat.

Mia stared indignantly at him, her arms crossed and a determined expression on her face.

"Look…I'm not doubting your abilities, Kitten. I'm just…worried."

"…about what?" Her expression softened, and she relaxed slightly.

Ever since that night, Diego had seemingly changed to a completely different person.

He showed his arrogant side a lot less now, and no longer talked to Xekuto as stiffly as he had before.

"…I'm worried that something will go wrong." He finally said and finished his fifth cup.

"'Wrong'?" Mia cocked an eyebrow and glanced at the case files of the client.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, for one thing, the trial's tomorrow and you haven't even started preparing." Xekuto chose that moment to walk in with a bundle of paperwork and a stern expression on his face.  
Diego nodded and placed down his coffee mug once more.

"You're not prepared, you haven't got the experience..."

"But there's NO ONE else who can take the case!" Mia suddenly grew desperate and her hands fell to her side, her fingers digging into her palms in a fist.

"Mr. Grossberg isn't willing… Mr. Armando's got something else important on that day, and Xekuto isn't qualified either!"

"How exactly are you more qualified than me?" The silver haired attorney crossed his arms, though his eyes had a glimmer of mischief in them.

Mia managed a small smile.

"You've spent less time in this office than me, therefore, I am your senior."

"Oh, is that how the hierarchy system works nowadays? I had no idea…"

"This isn't time to be joking around!" Diego unexpectedly growled and glared at the both of them.

"Who on earth is going to be defending Fawles tomorrow? Because frankly…!"

"…I myself believe that Ms. Fey is the best candidate."

Xekuto was the only one to not flinch (having noticed the stranger's footsteps a few seconds before) as Robert Hammond made his way through the open office door.

Diego composed himself and directed his stony gaze toward the new comer.

"I'm sorry, could I please kindly ask you to tell me…what the HELL you just said?"

"Hmph, touchy as usual, Armando. But since you seem to be poor of hearing today, so I'll let it pass."

Mia was sick of being treated as if she wasn't there and walked in between the two senior attorneys.

"Excuse me for my rudeness, but what gives you the right to decide what I do, Mr. Hammond?" She shot icily back.

"It was but a suggestion, Ms. Fey." Hammond didn't appear the slightest bit fazed and looked down at her over his long, hooked nose.

"I thought a case involving murder will make you feel…more close to your family."

"…I'm sorry?"

"Well, Misty Fey was involved with a murder trial…_just before she disappeared_."

Before Mia could even blink, Hammond was suddenly pinned to the wall by Diego, who had grabbed him by the collar and held him in a vice like grip.

"What's this? Sticking up for your pupil? How quaint…that's almost 'out of character' for you…Armando."

"Yeah? Well, the person I'm about to _seriously_ injure, and the one that I am currently staring at seems to be very 'in character' to me, wouldn't you say…Hammond?"

Diego finally let go of the attorney and balled his hands into fists as the greasy haired man straightened his crumpled tie.

With all his raging thoughts directed on Hammond, the coffee addict nearly doubled over when Mia unexpectedly said.

"Fine, I take you up on that challenge."

"Wh-what?" Diego stared back at her.  
"Are you crazy? Weren't you listening at all when I said that…"

"Heh, I'll be betting for your loss, Ms. Fey." Hammond sneered.

"Though, if I do happen to win the trial…you have to promise to leave the three of us alone." She walked up slowly to him and hissed.

"Hmm? Become so close already?" Hammond glanced wearily at the other two in the room.

"You always go for the suited men who _protect you from danger_? Don't you?"

He made to grab her by the scarf and bring her face towards his, but was instantly stopped by Xekuto's firm grip on his wrist.

"Despite what you think, I believe that Mia's choice in friends outshines yours by quite a large margin…am I wrong?" Though his words weren't threatening, his usual calm green eyes had flashed a piercing jade.

Hammond snatched his hand away from Xekuto and glared at them for the first time.

"Very well then…I will be looking forward to tomorrow's show…" He turned and walked out of the office with a last fleeting look of loathing.

"…I pray that you don't disappoint me…"

* * *

"M-Mr. Armando? What are you doing here?" Mia stared at her senior, who was sitting on the couch positioned outside the defense lobby, with his usual cup of steaming coffee in hand.

He grinned his usual grin and walked up to her, deliberately casual.

"Did you think I'd let a lost kitten wander around the big, scary lion's den all by herself? I'm hurt…you really don't know me well enough…"

"B-But…! You said that you were busy! You said that…!"  
"Some things come before work."

Mia shut her mouth to a mountain of protests that were just about to burst forth and gaped at him.

"Th-then…you…I…what?" she said dumbly.

Diego sighed and reached forth his free hand to ruffle her hair affectionately.

"Now, now…don't get your fur in a bunch. We organised the court record together, didn't we? As your mentor, I think it's necessary for me to be here for you when you need me."

Mia blinked.

She was deeply touched by his words and found it very hard to clear her mind all of a sudden.

"Th-Thank you…" She managed, blushing furiously and looking away.

Only then did she notice someone was missing.

"Hey…where's Xekuto?"

"Zoren? I'm not sure…I haven't seen him since we parted ways last night… I thought he was temporarily staying at your hotel?"

"Yeah…Temporarily being the keyword there." Mia replied with a worried look.

"He drove me home last night and then said that he had found an apartment to himself."

"Ah, I see." Diego raised his coffee mug to his lips.

"**In other words, you got rejected."**

"Wh-WHAT? M-Mr. Armando…! What on earth are you imply…!"

"U-Um…Hello? You…my attorney?"

"Eeeek!" Mia jumped at the unfamiliar voice and whipped her head around to face a largely built man in the prisoner's outfit. He was holding a steel ball that was connected to his handcuffs by a length of chain and was chewing on it nervously.

"O-Oh! M-Mr. Fawles! Hello! I'm so sorry about that…!" She finally managed to let her flaming cheeks cool down and face him properly.

"I'm Mia Fey, and yes, I am your defense for today. Pleased to meet you!" Mia extended a hand warmly.

He stared dumbly at it for a few seconds and then hesitantly shook it.

"…You…look like her."

"I…huh?"

Even Diego seemed confused and stopped drinking his coffee altogether.

"You look like…Dollie."

"…D-Dollie?" Mia shivered slightly.

Was this man severely perverted?

Because frankly, she couldn't remember the last time someone had compared her to an ornamental doll…

"Dollie…Dahlia…that's her name." He said softly.

"O-Oh…I look like someone you know?" Mia realised then that by 'Dollie', he had meant a nickname, and managed another smile.

"Yes…you…related to her?"

"Um…I don't think so…no. I'm not aware of any 'Dahlia's in my family tree."

"I…see…"

There was an uncomfortable silence between the three of them.

Mia sighed inwardly.

"**Oh great…"** She thought to herself.  
**"Maybe this'll turn out better if we just relaxed, and gave it some time…"**

Sadly, Mia Fey couldn't have been more wrong.

* * *

"M-Mr…F-Fawles…?"

Mia stared with nothing short of horror at his limp body, now slumped over the witness stand, and a pool of blood steadily forming on the one spotless, tiled floor.

"Mia…get back." Diego's voice was stiff, forced and barely audible as he grabbed her by the shoulder.

"We need to get out of here."

She wasn't aware of anything…she had forgotten _how_ to feel as she was steered out of the courtroom.

Mia's vision swam before her, and she glimpsed several blurred images as she was almost roughly pushed into her mentor's car.

She saw the shivering figure of the prosecuting prodigy, Miles Edgeworth, gripping his arm with a hand and looking extremely nauseated.

She saw the judge almost fall off his seat as he slowly walked from the desk he had been sitting at for the past hour.

And the memory which had been burnt into her mind most painfully…

She saw Dahlia.

Sweet, little Dahlia Hawthorne.

An angelic smile on her face as she turned to face her.

And the demon sneer from behind her pure façade… just before the car door closed with a dull thud.

* * *

"Mia…?"

Her eyes flung open, and she jerked up with a choke.

She realised she was in bed…back in her apartment.

So…

The things she had just seen.

All the events that had just occurred…

They were just…nightmares?  
They…hadn't been real?

"M-Mr. Armando…?"

She glanced up, and saw with a lurching stomach his roughly bandaged hand. The red was still seeping through the bandages and made her feel as if she would throw up.

No…this couldn't be true.

She clutched her chest and a sob escaped her.

"Mia. Are you alright?" His concerned voice managed to reach her pulsing ears and caused her to fall back down to the bed instantly.

"What…was that?" She managed to croak and stare at him helplessly.

Her pupils were shrunken with fear, and she couldn't stop shivering.

"Wh-what happened…?"

Diego remained silent, as if he hadn't heard, and drew back a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"You were unconscious." He finally said after nearly a full minute.

"…"

"Some…things happened." Diego muttered pathetically.  
"B-But everything's alright now, I promise."

"…Why is your hand like that?"

He jumped slightly her eyes unexpectedly narrowed and stared with intensity at him.

"I…accidentally cut it…I was grinding coffee beans…"

"…"

An awkward silence fell upon the small bedroom for several heartbeats.

"I wasn't dreaming." Mia was the one to break it.

"Huh…?"

"Everything just then…it all happened, didn't it?"

"No…Kitten…I…" Diego used her pet name, desperately grasping the small fragment of peace that still existed in this situation.

He failed, and lost sight of it in the next instant.

"…Get out."

"Wha…? Mia?" His eyes widened, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"I want to be left alone…please… just leave." Her scathing voice was barely a whisper.

From past experiences, Diego stiffened and silently stood up from his seat.

His heart ached horribly as he closed the door behind her.

But even the thickest wood was not enough to block out the piercing sobs that were heard coming from the other side.


	10. Chapter X Old Friends

**Chapter X – Old Friends**

_See? Didn't I tell you?_

_You just wouldn't listen…would you?_

**Shut up.**

_You're nothing but a failure._

**I said 'SHUT UP'!**

_This is precisely the reason why your mother left y…_

"**ARRRGGHHH! BE QUIET!"**

Diego flinched from behind the door and clung onto the knob desperately. His palms were sweaty and his heart racing as he heard Mia drop to the floor with a dull thud in the bedroom.

It was pure torture for him to restrain himself from going in.

Mia panted heavily onto the floorboards, her chest feeling as if it would burst from the pain of her raw emotions. Tears ran down her cheeks in tiny streams at a fast pace. Her cheekbones were aching from her clenching her teeth together, trying desperately to stop the pain.

But nothing worked.

Not this time.

She had failed.

Mia Fey had failed to take her first step as a lawyer and defend a client.

Her client was dead.

The true culprit walked free.

And her heart had been ripped into two.

"Damn it, Mia!" Diego growled and banged against the door once more after he heard her sobbing.

"Why won't you let me help you? I want to do what I…"

"Well, you can't…" Her stammering voice reached his ears.

"Mia…please…" He whispered pleadingly. "Let me…"

**"GO AWAY!"** She yelled with unexpected strength which literally pushed him back a few steps.

"YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP ME. SO STOP THINKING YOU CAN AND JUST…L-LEAVE ME ALONE!" She screamed and threw a pillow heavily into the door so that it shuddered slightly against the collision.

After several minutes, the room was completely silent.

Diego shakily stood up from where he had fallen to his knees and made his way to the door.

Food is what they needed.

He thought pathetically.

They hadn't eaten anything since the morning and it was long past lunchtime.

Some warm food, comforting words and a good cup of coffee.

He thought he would puke in disgust by the thought of his addiction at this inappropriate time and made his way out the door.

"Perhaps some of that mayonnaise chicken…Zoren did say that it was her favourite…" He mused as he walked briskly along the street leading from the apartment.

"You know Zoren?"

Diego stiffened at the unfamiliar voice and turned towards the source.

Several men in black suits were walking towards him, deliberately casual.

"Apologies on interrupting your afternoon stroll." One of them said tonelessly.  
"But we're looking for a Mia Fey."

"…What do you want with Mia?" Diego growled, not even bothering to be polite.

Who were they? Journalists hungry for a story who had happened to stumble across the trial today and now wanted to use his traumatised pupil as bait?

Well, no way in hell was he going to tell them of Mia's whereabouts.

"So you do know her? Actually, we were looking for Zoren… Xekuto Zoren." Another said stiffly.  
"We have some…business with him, you see."

"I only know Mia because I work in the same office as her. And I have never even heard of anyone named Xekuto." Diego said calmly.

It was extremely easy to lie when he was protecting his kitten.

He wasn't quite sure, though, of why he felt the need to do the same for his other colleague.

"Hmm? You were the one who just 'uttered' his name a few seconds back."

Diego managed to not flinch at this mistake, and replied back coolly.

"You must have the wrong person then." He started.

"That's impossible." A pigtailed girl walked out from amongst the men, and Diego noticed for the first time that this suspicious group had one thing in common.

They all had a white tiger emblazoned on their black clothing.

"Xekuto is the last member remaining of the Zoren family." She said with a sick smile, her eyes gleaming. "We made sure of that."

"What do you mean…?" Diego didn't understand why he was being backed into an alleyway and frantically tried to find an opening to escape to.

"You sure are slow, aren't you?" The girl giggled in a very 'Dahlia-like' way which made the hairs on the attorney's neck stand on end.

**"The only way to completely wipe out a family is by killing every last one of them."**

Diego stared at her, and felt the cool surface of the brick wall behind him as he leaned into it.

He was completely trapped.

"You want to…?" He managed weakly.

"That's right. We're here to silence Xekuto Zoren."

A sharp pain entered Diego's stomach as a fist was hurled into him.

He gasped out in pain and sank to the floor, horribly winded and barely able to breathe.

"Now…let's try this again… Diego Armando of Grossberg Law Offices." She whispered and pulled him up by his mane of hair to face her.

"Where is Xekuto Zoren?"

"I don't know what y-you're talking about." Diego croaked, his eyes widening as he was addressed by his full name.

He knew it was meaningless to question how they had found that out.

"Oh, I see. You need more _persuasion_."

The attorney felt himself being pulled up and elbows looping under his arms so that he was fully restrained.

He was subjected to blow after blow.

They only stopped after a trickle of blood flowed from his mouth.

"How disappointing… I didn't think that a defense attorney would be so daft."

Diego coughed wretchedly and peered at them from beneath a swollen eyelid.

"Why d-do you want him so badly?" He gasped.

"What's the harm of having him live?"

"How about we let him tell you after you're both dead? I think you two would get on swimmingly." The girl laughed and suddenly grabbed him by the throat.

"If you don't answer my question then you'll find yourself soon dyed red by your own blood. Now tell me…Where. Is. He?"

"**Really now, I would've thought that all that training as an assassin would let you detect someone if they were standing in plain sight right behind you?"**

She jerked up and let go of Diego at once, turning towards the newcomer.

Her surprised grey eyes met a piercing jade.

"Y-You…!" She gasped, and noticed just then that all her accomplices were lying on the floor, knocked unconscious.

"Did you miss me, Chi?"

* * *

Mia blinked, and realised that she had fallen asleep on the wooden floorboards. She wearily got back onto the bed, her head aching horribly.

"**He's not here."**

She jerked up and whipped her head around wildly to find the source of noise.

But no one was there.

"Great… now I'm hearing things." She mumbled and crashed back onto the bed.

And therefore not noticing the tiger emblem on the figure's vest as they made their way across the ceiling and silently out the window.

* * *

"You alright?"

"Y-Yeah…thanks."

Diego let himself be supported by Xekuto as he was helped back up. The silver haired attorney pulled his arm over his shoulder and pulled him forward slightly for him to take a step.

"I'm glad you managed to scare them off like that…who on earth were those…sick freaks?" Diego exclaimed as he straightened up, and motioned to Xekuto that he could walk properly himself.

"…I'd rather not say at the moment. We have more important things to worry about."

The coffee addict patted his dusty pants.

"What? To walk the streets all sneaky like since you're being targeted?" He managed to joke.

"No…to get you to a hospital as soon as possible. You're going to injure that hand of yours more as it is." Xekuto replied stiffly.

Diego blinked. Not expecting his colleague to put him above everything else that needed to be done at this point in time.

"R-Right." He managed.

"I can get there myself…I think you should…"

"…Go back and check on Mia?"

"Yeah…"

His brow furrowed.

"Why weren't you there?"

Xekuto didn't meet his gaze.

"By 'there', you mean the trial, right?"

"Yes. I'm assuming you had 'more important things to worry about'?"

Diego was silenced immediately when he suddenly looked into his eyes.

Xekuto's pupils were almost slits, and the irises were no longer the gentle shade of emerald green.

They were…unnaturally blood red.

"You go ahead and get yourself to hospital then." He said at last, very stiffly.  
"I'll just head to Mia's apartment. And don't worry. This time I won't 'swan off'."

"I…didn't mean…" Diego managed weakly, feeling disgusted at himself for what he had said.

"Forget about it." Xekuto sighed and turned away.  
"It's not going in the court record."

* * *

Mia was terrified out of her wits.

"These are just hallucinations." She muttered to herself, but couldn't stop shaking as shadows towered about her, their forms claw like and hauntingly menacing.

"S-Stay away from me!" She cried out in fear, her throat felt as if it were clogging up and she could barely breathe.

Ice-cold streams of sweat were running down her face as she continued to shiver.

Lights danced in front of her vision.

She felt as if she was dying.

"H-Help me…" She gasped and curled up into a ball.

The image of her aunt suddenly dominated her thoughts and she started sobbing fitfully.

"N-No…! Stop it, stop it! I'll do wh-what ever you want…please…STOP IT!"

All of a sudden, her arms were once again covered in cuts and bruises from that whip.

There was a large amount of blood everywhere, splattered all across the room.

That hadn't come from her…had it?

Mia opened her eyes a fraction and screamed.

Lying in front of her was the Xekuto she knew as a child.

His white gii top had been dyed crimson with blood, and his eyes were open, staring and unknowing.

He was completely still.

"NO…! NO!"

Mia Fey seized up and crumpled, falling into unconsciousness.


	11. Chapter XI Debut

**Chapter XI – Shinume**

"_I still can't believe you actually agreed."_

"…What else could I have done?"

Xekuto turned to Ryu and glared at him.

He was standing right before the apartment door the moment the dragon spirit intervened.

"…_You could just have let the both of them die."_

"…"

"…_Why are they so important to you? They're just humans."_

"Weren't we all once?"

Ryu suddenly grew silent.

Xekuto sighed heavily.

"Look, now is not the time to discuss this… Mia needs me."

"_Yeah, and so does the president. You really should stop his assassination as well."_

"If you're just going to continue mocking me, I suggest you leave."

Xekuto fixed him with a piercing look.

"**Because frankly, I'm just not in the mood at the moment."**

"_Fine…have it your way."_

Ryu Seron flicked a strand of his dull, golden hair out of his eyes and suddenly looked unnaturally serious.

"_Just don't cling onto me if it turns out that this is the last time you're allowed to experience life."_

* * *

"Mia…can you hear me?"

She was aware that she was being shaken gently by the shoulders and managed to peel open her eyes.

"X-Xekuto…?" She managed uncomprehendingly.

"Are you alright? You were lying in a heap on the floor…I was really worried." He said softly and helped her up back into the messed up bed.

"…Are the shadows gone?"

"…What?"

"The shadows…are they gone?" She started shivering once more and fell onto him, a hand grasping a fistful of his clothes.

"…There are no shadows, Mia…Really." He managed with a nervous chuckle and pulled her slowly away from him so that she was lying down once more.

"B-But that voice…it kept telling me to…" She stammered and he noticed her eyes were almost lifelessly blank.

"To…?" He swallowed, unsure of where this was going.

"Count the shadows." She started, and then there was a bead of light in her pupil.

"…Xekuto!" Mia suddenly cried out and grasped his arms, startling him.

It was as if she had only just woken up.

"Y-You're…alive…! Thank God…you're alive…"

"M-Mia?" He stared, bewildered, as she clung onto him, sobbing fitfully.

"I s-saw you die…" She croaked, losing all the sanity left in her.

"You were d-d-dead…"

"Mia. Stop it." He narrowed his eyes and said in an extremely firm voice, which silenced her immediately.

"What you saw were nothing but visions. Visions that were lies."

"B-But… you really were…"

"…standing outside the door, trying to find the spare apartment key you lent me." Xekuto conjured up quickly, but convincingly enough to be believed.

Mia stared at him for several heartbeats.

She then reached up a hand to touch his face, just to make sure that he was actually there.

Once her hand did make contact, she finally exhaled in relief.

And collapsed onto him.

* * *

"_**Now the final chess piece is in place. That's a relief. I was getting bored…"**_

"…_Don't you ever tire of sticking to only playing around with his life?" _

Ryu Seron watched from a distance at the girl as she peered into a basin like container.

"_**Xekuto Zoren is… different to others."**_

She turned towards him, her eyes were a deep violet and empty.

"_**I find him very…amusing."**_

Ryu sighed and looked down into the clouds.

"_Haven't you tortured him to your heart's content? You decide who dies and who lives, after all. Why can't you just let all three of them live a long and prosperous life?"_

"_**Well, that's because it would be boring."**_

She drew a finger to her lips and chuckled softly.

"_**You know as much as I do that I despise happy endings…"**_

* * *

"She's been burning with fever ever since I found her." Xekuto sighed wearily and placed a cool, wet cloth on her forehead once more.

"You sure got back from that hospital quickly… it hasn't even been an hour."

"Well, I was worried." Diego said truthfully and looked away.

He had actually just contacted a local practitioner that he had once defended and asked for a favour.

True, the mug shards had been extracted from his hand and it had been bandaged up properly…but it still throbbed like an unsteady heartbeat.

Nothing compared to the pain that was building up in his heart at the sight of Mia's still form, however.

"…Will she be alright?"

"I've given her some Panadol…if her high temperature still persists though…we'll have to take her to the doctors."

"R-Right…"

Diego sat on the seat next to the bed and his hands came up to meet his face.

"…She seems to be really traumatised by the case…"

"Because _someone_ wasn't there for her, right?" Xekuto lowered his head.

"Ah, n-no!" Diego jerked up and stared at his colleague.

"That wasn't what I was implying!"

"That may as well have been your intention."

"…"

Diego positioned his pained hand better on his leg so that it would hurt slightly less.

"D-Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

"Not really…There's no point in hiding anything."

Xekuto sighed and soaked the cloth in ice-cold water, and turned to face Diego only after it had been placed back on her flushed face.

"Someone gave me false information."

"False information…?"

"They told me that she was still alive, and that only I could save her."

Diego stiffened.

"Wh-Who…?"

His eyes once again glowed a bright jade.

"…Another Zoren."

* * *

"_Why on earth would you do such a thing?"_

And for once, Ryu Seron was well and truly enraged.

"_**I thought it would be…an interesting turn of events."**_

"_So you lure him away to some distant area in plain sight of the Tigress? What were you thinking?"_

"_**Don't yell, your raised voice irritates me."**_

Ryu grew silent, his teeth gritted and eyes a piercing blood red.

He knew what would happen if he agitated her in any way.

At the worst...she would shorten Xekuto's life span even more.

She turned to him and said tonelessly.

"_**My reason is simple…**_

_**I am the child of Death…**_

_**And I enjoy seeing those I love in pain."**_


	12. Chapter XII Pure Grief

**Chapter XII – Pure Grief**

**_Your existence means nothing._  
**

**_And you..._**

**_are _**

**_Nothing.  
_**

"Mia! Thank God you're awake!"

She was lying on the bed, still as a piece of rotting driftwood and with her eyes gazing upwards.

"…"

She said nothing.

Diego knew something wasn't right and didn't attempt to call her a second time.

Xekuto remained silent and for some strange reason wouldn't look either of them in the eye.

"…I have something to ask Xekuto."

She finally whispered.

The senior defense attorney stared at her uncomprehendingly.

Even the addressed seemed equally stunned.

"Wh-what…?" He managed to croak feebly.

"I have something to ask Xekuto." She said again, this time with strength returning to her voice.

After nearly a full minute, Diego finally forced himself to stand up numbly from his seat and drag his feet to the door.

"A-Alright, but if you need me for anything…I'll just be out here…okay?"

Xekuto nodded to him appreciatively thereupon noticing that Mia was doing her very best to ignore Diego and turned to her as the door shut.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Expecting any moment now that she would ask him where he was when she needed him the most.

"…do I exist?"

"…What."

It was more of a statement than a question.

His eyes flung open, and he thought he definitely heard wrong.

"Why…do I exist?" She breathed once more.

"…Mia…?"

She shook slightly and then suddenly curled up into a ball in the bed, her sobs muffled and her words barely decipherable.

And he was there at once, holding her shivering frame close to him and stroking her hair comfortingly.

Like the way he would always do when they were children.

"It's alright." He said softly.

"…I…It's..not…"

"Yes it is."

"…N-no…why…I…how…h-help…"

It didn't seem like she could string together a single coherent sentence.

"Mia. Listen to me." He said in a firm voice and tilted her chin up slightly to look at him.

Her eyes were dull and lifeless, and tears wouldn't stop dripping from them.

Down her cheeks and onto her cold magatama.

"You did nothing wrong. Absolutely nothing."

"B-But…I…" She croaked and gripped his grey jacket tightly.

"It w-was m-me…I…killed…"

"You didn't kill anyone. I promise you that."

"…I-If I had…"

"There was nothing you could have done to stop him. And even if you did, he would have thought of another way to do it."

Mia stared at him, feeling as if her heart would burst.

Her thoughts were blurred.

She could no longer think straight.

An alien creature with a thin membrane was floating around in what was left of her brain.

"Mia…Are you still with me?"

"…y-yeah…"

She sagged and wrapped her arms clumsily around him, feeling as if she were dying.

"I'm so glad…that you came back." She choked.

"Mia…?"

He drew back slowly to gaze at her sadly.

In Xekuto's mind, before him was the humanised form of grief and pain.

"I-If you hadn't… I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have anything to wake up for."

"…Don't say such things." He whispered stiffly and wiped away her warm tears.

Xekuto shivered as he touched her cheek.

He realised that every other part of his best friend was so…cold.

"…You won't leave me again…right?"

"…! Th-that was b-because…!" He choked on his own words, and all of a sudden, nothing would come out right.

"I'm not talking about that."

And at that instant, he knew _what_ she meant.

Xekuto cupped her hand in his and then curled his little finger around hers.

Just like on that day.

"…I promised, remember?" He answered gently.

"And I never break my promises."

"…"

Mia Fey smiled for the first time since she had woken up.

And knew that if she had chosen that precise moment to leave this world.

She would have died happy.


	13. Chapter XIII The Devil's Script

**Chapter XIII – The Devil's Script**

"…_You need to stop hanging around that new student."_

"…_Wh-what…?"_

_Mia stared at her best friend._

_The two of them were walking the usual route to the local library._

_Lana sighed and turned to face her._

"…_If you want to become a lawyer in the future… people like him will distract you from your goal, and then you will never reach it._

"…_I don't understand… Do you have something against him?" Mia stopped walking altogether, and managed to stare at Lana in the eye indignantly._

"…"

"_Do you two know each other or something?"_

"…_No. Forget it." Lana turned on her heels and continued walking to the entrance of the building, wasting no time in leaving Mia behind her._

"…_You're still too immature."_

* * *

Lana Skye blinked and realised she had dozed off at her work desk.

She hurriedly straightened up and ran a hand through her long chestnut coloured hair to straighten it.

She noticed the date on her calendar and realised Ema had drawn a yellow scarf around it.

And then she remembered.

"…Today was Mia's first case… I wonder how she went…?"

* * *

"_**Heh, I love humans… their lives are so meaningless before I ruin them."**_

"…_.S-Stop it… stop doing this to her…"_

"_**Oh? You finally decided to grow a conscience? You do realise that **_**you**_** are the one doing all of this to them, don't you?"**_

"_O-Only because you're making me…"_

"_**Just shut up and continue Shinume's script the way it has been planned."**_

"_Y-You're horrible…Onee-sama…"_

"…_**I'll take that as a compliment thank you very much…"**_

She chose that moment to turn and stare with malice at the shivering form in its confined cage.

_** "Shinji-chan."**_

* * *

"How long do I still have?"

Xekuto was leaning over the apartment's bathroom mirror and staring at his reflection.

He had recently dowsed himself in cold water and his silver hair was dripping, sending small rivulets of it down his cheek.

"…_At most… about two to three years…"_

"What…?" The last surviving Zoren turned and faced the dragon spirit with nothing short of pure horror on his features.

"…I-I had more time in the last…!"

"Shinume warned you that every time you fail…the period to save her will be altered and changed according to her liking…"

"That…is…ARGH!" He banged against the wall with fury and hoped desperately that the idiotic act didn't awaken his sleeping friend in the next room.

"Why…why does this have to be…?" He croaked and fell to the floor.

The scar on his back was burning fitfully now, and he almost cried out in pain.

"_It is the will of Shinume. There's nothing we can do about it."_ And for the first time since Ryu first appeared to Xekuto, his eyes were filled with sorrow.

"_I'm sorry…"_

"Stop it, it's not your fault." Xekuto found renewed strength and straightened himself up, grabbing a towel and drying his short hair.

"You just be my messenger for the next few… years, alright?" The attorney swallowed and threw the cloth to the ground, noticing then that his eyes had turned a deep shade of blood red.

"_O-Of course…I'll always be here for you, Xe-kun!"_ Ryu raised his arms up in a pathetic attempt to lighten up the situation, but dropped them a few seconds later since it didn't work in the slightest.

"…Thanks. I… need to be left alone for a bit… could you please go back?"

"_Sure… Just take care of yourself, alright? It pains me to see you so helpless at times and…"_

"Just leave, now. Please."

"_R-Right. Later then…"_

And with that, Ryu Seron disappeared from the human world.

Xekuto sighed deeply and willed himself to calm down.

It finally worked, and his eyes were now a dark green.

"That…should be fine. I'll just say I got something stuck in my eye or something." He murmured and left the room dejectedly.

Only to meet the questioning gaze of one Diego Armando as soon as the door was opened.


	14. Chapter XIV Two Close Calls

**Chapter XIV – Two Close Calls**

"What was that?" For once the coffee addict looked extremely menacing as he cocked an eyebrow to glare at Xekuto.

"…What was what?"

_Diego…you chose the wrong time to do this to me now…_

"I heard you talking to someone in there… who was it?"

"No one. I was talking to myself." Xekuto managed with a scathing tone and returned Diego's stare which silenced him for a couple of heartbeats.

"Oh really? You seemed like you were having a very agitated conversation with yourself…"

"Yes… that happens from time to time. Stress of being a lawyer and all, you know?"

"…Quite."

"…"

…_How the hell am I supposed to get out of this one?_

"Diego, you're not going to start bothering Xekuto again, are you?"

It was Mia.

He flinched slightly and turned to face her.

"…O-Of course not, Kitten." He managed weakly and finally gave in to his pupil's intent stare.

Shrugging slightly, he mumbled something about preparing coffee for the three of them and left the room.

"Th-thanks…" Xekuto only then let go of his steeled demeanour and dipped his head wearily.

"Xekuto… were you recounting what happened in the village?" Mia asked softly, her eyes were suddenly a warm hazel as she walked up to him.

"Wh-what…? Oh…yeah… I guess you could say that." The silver haired attorney murmured and managed a weak smile.

She didn't seem convinced.

"Are you sure you're alright? You don't seem like the Xekuto I know…back then."

She jumped slightly as he made his way past her and sagged onto the bed she had been sleeping on.

"Let's stop talking about me, alright? We need to concern ourselves with bigger problems here."

"B-Bigger problems?" She had no idea what he meant.  
"Wh-what are you talking about?"

"…You."

"I-I'm a problem…?" Of course Mia knew that wasn't what Xekuto was implying, but she felt the need to act dumb for once to lighten up the heavy and depressing mood.

"Ahaha, no. It's just that… you had your first case just then… and the death of your client would have been really…"

"When did I tell you that my client died?" Mia's cheerful smile vanished in an instant and her eyes were suddenly unnaturally calculative.

"…Er…Diego…told me…" He realised his mistake too late, and mumbled.

"…Huh. Is that so?" She turned her back to him and closed the bedroom door so that he couldn't just excuse himself and avoid the topic.  
"…I never knew that you called Mr. Armando by his first name."

"…!" Xekuto looked away from her and refused to meet her eyes.

"Th-that's… because…"

The door suddenly reopened, and the two of them both doubled over at the said person's untimely arrival.

"Erm…Coffee's ready." He said feebly, confusion clear in his brown eyes as he regarded the awkward scene before him.


	15. Chapter XV The Night of Fate

**Chapter XV – Night of Fate**

* * *

**"_If you want to live, you have to listen to what I say, and follow me, alright?"_**

"…_O-okay…"_

_The boy had no choice, seeing the assassin come closer and closer to him through the clumps of burning wood._

**"_Here…"_**

_He felt his chin being tilted upwards, and suddenly a warm glow on his throat._

_Unbearable pain suddenly seized his entire body and he couldn't even scream._

_Had the assassin reached him too soon and shot him?_

_No, something worse was happening._

_He was… **changing...?**_

_His hair suddenly began to morph and grow along with his body._

_He then felt pressure on his back._

_And he was suddenly on the floor, staring up into the eyes of Midnight Tigress._

_And the man who was with him was gone._

"_Is he the last one?" Someone hissed._

"_How the **hell** did we miss him?"_

**"…**_**He's not a Zoren."** Tigress grabbed the boy by the arm and tore off the back of his shirt, ripping it cleanly in two._

"_What? Then what exactly is he doing here?_

"_How would I know? Besides… see here?" She indicated to his back. _

_"**No tattoo."**_

"_Hmph… lucky brat."_

_She released him and he was suddenly all alone._

_He shakily got up from the momentary restraint and shivered in the warm wind._

_He looked behind him, and realised his own house was still aflame, its wooden frame seemingly melting like molten lava._

"_M-mother… F-Father…" He croaked and curled up into a ball, sure that they were still in there.  
_

_And would never leave his beloved home again.  
_

_He wasn't sure what had happened to him._

_But he… looked **different** now…_

_No, he was a completely different person._

_His tattoo was **gone**._

_He gazed around the scene around him._

_His whole village was in flames._

_Not a single house remained standing._

_And here and there… were dead bodies of all the members of his family._

_A piercing sob escaped his throat as he recognised the body of the little girl he had only met a few minutes ago._

_She was still holding onto the teddy bear that he had given her.  
_

_The stuffing of torn out of its stomach.  
_

_And spread here and there over the girl's bent figure.  
_

_The light of the surrounding fire providing the only light in her blank and staring pupils.  
_

_It had happened too quickly._

_Too soon._

"_Does that mean…" The boy was terrified out of his wits as he fingered his new long golden hair._

_ And wept for the first time since he could remember._

"…**I-I'm not Xekuto Zoren anymore…?"**


	16. Chapter XVI Regret

**Chapter XVI – Guilt and Regret**

"Congratulations on finally making it back to the office, Jake. Did some rogue horse catch you off guard or something?" Lana Skye muttered sarcastically and eyed her colleague with annoyance.

"Well, I came close to that, Bambina." He replied back good-naturedly, tipped his sombrero like hat to her and settled down behind his work desk.

"Honestly, you need to get back earlier. I have many files that I need to give to you which could have been all filled out by now IF you had been there when they first came in!" His ignorant behaviour finally got the better of her as he placed his boots on the desk and leaned back in his seat, deliberately casual.

"Relax, Ms Skye." He straightened up slightly, seeing that angering her further would achieve no merits and drank from his ever present flask.  
"I was attending to important business, you see."

"…Important business? Something that's even more 'important' than work?" Lana shot back at him and stood up suddenly, her hair almost bristling with fury.

"I'll have you know that…!"

"It was about your friend, Mia Fey. And I'm slightly hurt by the fact that you consider work more important than the people who care about you in your life, Ms Skye." Jake grew serious in that instant which stunned Lana into silence.

"…M-Mia…? What about her? Did something happen?" She managed and straightened up when she realised that she was leaning forward on the surface of her desk and gripping its edges.

_Why do I suddenly feel so agitated?_

_I wasn't even like this when Marshall first 'waltzed' into here…_

"…Armando called. He told me that her first case… didn't exactly turn out the way they thought it would."

"What…do you mean?" Her heart was now drenched in fear and she willed herself to calm down.

"Frankly, I'm quite surprised you didn't attend the trial session yourself, since she _is_ your best friend." Jake cocked an eyebrow at her and took off his hat.

"Not to mention it was the debut of that prosecuting prodigy, Miles Edgeworth."

"Just tell me what happened." Lana's voice was stony.

And at that point in time.

She wouldn't even have cared if Edgeworth was charged for murder a day after he walked into her office.

All that mattered was the position that Mia Fey was in….and if she was alright.

"…You best be going to see her now. From what I heard from Armando, she's not doing so well."

"…Where is she?"

"At her apartment… with him and Zoren."

"…I'll be leaving now then."

And without another word, Lana grabbed her coat and walked briskly out of her office.

Jake watched her go and sighed deeply as her red muffler fluttered slightly against the wind just before the door closed and it disappeared from sight.

* * *

Lana tried her best to keep her head cool and focus on driving rather than go into hysteria at the fact that she hadn't been aware of the recent events until just then.

"And to top it all off, I was informed by the least competent member in the prosecutor brigade!" She growled and stopped at a red light, clicking her nails on the wheel impatiently.

"…What am I supposed to say to Mia? We've barely spoken each other since that time I met up with her at the cafeteria."

She exhaled, realising at that moment that she had been taking short, sharp breaths ever since rushing out of the office.

Her heart was also tight in her chest and hurting unexplainably.

It was as if she had gone back to that time when her parents left her and Ema behind…forever.

_Why wasn't I there when she had that case?_

_Why did I choose to clear my desk of the piling up sheets of cases rather than go to support her?_

_I'm…such a fool...!_

_Marshall was right. I did put work before the people that matter to me._

_And now…I'm being punished for it._

Lana willed herself to clear her mind and focus on the present.

There was nothing she could do about the past.

What mattered right now… was comforting her one and only best friend.

Not pouting and reminiscing about what had already happened.

Mia needed her.

And she shivered slightly as she noted.

That if anything serious DID happen to Mia…

And if she had to do nothing and simply accept that fact.

It would probably be the most difficult hurdle Lana Skye would ever have to cross.


	17. Chapter XVII Can You Believe in This?

**Chapter XVII – Can You Believe in This?**

"…_You're planning to end it all here, aren't you?"_

Ryu turned towards her.

And couldn't make sense of the fact…

That she appeared to be...just…a little girl.

"…_**Oh? What makes you think that?"**_

The child trapped within the cage next to the both of them shivered and clutched the blood stained quill in her cut hand.

A flutter of parchment drifted to a silent stop.

Ryu gritted his teeth and did his best to restrain himself.

He could choke the life out of this…_being_ for all he cared.

But…

"…_**I can't die, you know."**_

He flinched and glared at her with pure loathing.

"…_I didn't give you permission to enter my mind."_

"_**Well, I'll have you know that I can see your thoughts whenever I desire. And not after being granted access."**_

She flicked a strand of her long hair out of her eyes and finally turned on the spot to face him.

She twirled slightly, as if she were dancing, and giggled.

"_**Ryu… I'm glad I have you to keep me company. My sister is such a flake… she can't do anything without me."**_

Again, the caged prey shuddered, as if frozen stiff by the cold wind that was her twin's existence.

"_Stop this. You haven't the right to torture Shinjiko like this."_

And for the first time in many decades, Ryu addressed the other by her name.

"_**Hah, don't tell me you're growing affection for this useless lump now? …How quaint."**_

Ryu's eyes flashed a piercing green.

_Just like Xekuto._

_Only the opposite._

_Jade green and crimson red._

_The colours of many bloods and poisons.  
_

"_**You and him are so alike… it's a wonder why you two aren't related."**_

"_You…! …what?"_

Ryu blinked, all anger drowned out by a wave of protest and buzzing confusion that was now dominating his mind.

_What…did she just say…?_

"_**Hmm, it seems that I've let something slip that I shouldn't have…Oopsie."**_

"_Shinume."_

The dragon spirit faltered slightly as she stared him straight in the eye.

"…_**You called me by my real name. I'm flattered."**_

"_Enough…now…just answer my question… Is this the last world Xekuto Zoren is allowed to experience?"_

Ryu cleared his head desperately.

He couldn't lose it...not now.

"…_**It is by the Will of Shinume. Therefore it cannot be changed."**_

She breathed and stepped slowly towards him.

"_...You can overturn the pre-established fate with the power of your own will."_

Ryu replied tonelessly, his eyes were fierce once more.

He couldn't understand this gnawing anxiety to prove her wrong building up inside of him.

It grew into something that was almost like a physical wound.

He clamped his mouth shut to a utter of pain and waited scathingly for her answer.

"_**Xekuto Zoren is alive according to Shinume's Will."**_

Her pupils suddenly flashed to clear, thin slits.

"_**And he can also die according to the Will."**_

"…_You've killed him enough times."_

"_**I can choose to end it. **_

_**Right here. **_

_**Right now.**_

…

_**Do you want that?"**_

"…_You…"_

"_**You should be more respectful towards me, Ryu Seron."**_

_Shinume straightened up slowly, like a worn out puppet being pulled by the strings of its master._

"_**In a way, I am like Mother to you and Xekuto Zoren. I care for the two of you…"**_

"_A woman who is able to kill her child at will… and uses that as a threat to work them like cattle raised for slaughter does not deserve to be even thought of as a mother!"_

"…"

For a while she was silent.

And then…

She whispered coldly.

No.

Almost like a hurt child.

Very, very softly.

"…_**That's not nice, Ryu…"**_

She tilted her head to a sickening angle and widened her eyes, appearing like a stiff rag doll.

Her voice raised slightly.

"_**That's not nice."**_

He knew he had gone too far this time, and almost fell backwards in haste of showing clear defeat.

**_As if he was being controlled._**

"…_Just punish me…" _

He gasped wretchedly.

"…_D-Don't hurt Xekuto anymore…"_

Shinume made her way close to Ryu.

Until they faces were nearly touching.

And placed two ice cold palms to his cheeks to tilt his face upward.

Forcing his red eyes to stare into deep purple.

Her nails digging into his skin.

And her voice as sharp as icicles in the final sentence.

"_**Once I'm finished with him, he will have forgotten what it was like to live."**_


	18. Chapter XVIII Scattered and Forgotten

**Chapter XVIII – Scattered and Forgotten**

_Damn this traffic jam…why NOW of all times?!_

It took all of her patience to restrain herself from shouting in fury as she forwarded her car by a millimetre.

Of several things Lana Skye was sure about.

She needed to get to Mia.

She was surrounded by nothing but cars.

…

She was surrounded by nothing but CARS!

Blocking her from any sort of helpful movement whatsoever.

_What. The. Hell?!_

Lana crashed back into her seat with a groan and leaned into it, closing her eyes and trying her best to subdue the building headache that was gnawing insistently at her brain.

She also had a bad habit of being a workaholic. So that whenever she sat down to contemplate on basic issues in life such as 'how the hell was she supposed to get out of this stupid traffic jam', and not on an all so important case, her mind began to wander.

And this time, it unexpectedly frolicked to a very intriguing question.

…What was Mia Fey to her?

She blinked. And realised she had never given it much thought.

Why on earth was she suddenly so worried?

Mia wasn't her family.

Lana hadn't met her until the last few years of high school.

So… why did she feel as if she had this _responsibility_ towards her?

_Is it because we're… alike in a sense? _And finding nothing else to do whilst waiting for the four wheel drive in front of her to budge, the gears in her head began to turn towards this new question.

_Mia's technically an orphan too, if you think about it. She had to raise herself, if we excluded the 'lovely and caring treatment' her wretched aunt gave her._

Lana didn't know the details of Mia's upbringing, but one thing she did know was that Mia never mentioned any other members of her family other than her younger sister, Maya and her mother. Which lead the head detective to assume that she and Morgan were not that close.

Mia also mentioned to Lana that no one in her family (save Maya) approved of her decision to leave Kurain in order to become an attorney and uncover the truth about her mother's disappearance.

_Which means… she was living by herself for all that time in school?_

There was an audible honk from behind Lana and she jerked back to reality. She realised then that there was now a clear gap between her and the vehicle in front, and forwarded her car a bit more with an embarrassed flush creeping into her cheeks.

After all, Lana Skye was always alert, responsible and efficient.

…Or, that's what she was meant to be.

And what everyone else seemed to think of her as.

* * *

"_Wow, she's the top of the class again?" A student pointed to the results sheet pinned on the bulletin board in awe and waved her hand about to attract the attention of his friends._

"_Hmm, who?" _

"_Aww, come on. Stay awake, man! I'm talking about _her_. Y'know, that Skye girl."_

_The sixteen year old pretended not to hear and continued to scrutinise the notes she had taken for the previous class. She cocked an eyebrow slightly with annoyance as the boy's voices grew louder…_

_And were suddenly laced with jealousy._

"_Seriously, AGAIN?"_

"_Whoa… that's the fifth time in a row, isn't it? Wait… we've only HAD five tests this semester!"_

"_Must come from a wealthy family, that one… and also get a lot of tutoring."_

_Her hand jerked to a halt on her exercise book, but she still refused to give any sign that she had noticed._

"_Yeah… she must have a grand house and all…she's ALWAYS been the best there was, right?"_

"_Don't you think it's possible that she's just got natural talent?"_

"_Nah, NORMAL people always slip up at some point. But she never has. I bet she's a spoiled brat at home and does nothing much herself but rely on her home teachers."_

Shut up.

"_I also bet that she's the type that doesn't even need to work hard to get high marks. Her parents must have all the time in the world to teach her…heck, they probably even do her homework for her!"_

Shut…up…!

"_Eh? Then what about the tests? They're not there for that!"_

"_Heh. If we follow my 'rich girl' theory, there must be some modern technology that we don't know of which allows her to…"_

_**THUD**_

_A heavy textbook had fallen right off Lana Skye's desk and unto the floor. _

_Though it wasn't obvious, her hand was outstretched slightly, giving indication that she had been the one responsible of pushing of off._

"_Ah… you think she heard us?"_

"…_Can't have… she was busy studying, right?"_

_Lana picked up the book slowly and then pushed it firmly into her bag, which still bore her elementary school name tag._

"_She's ALWAYS studying… it's like she's in her own little world when she is, too…"_

"_Hmph, probably all an act to cover up the royal treatment she gets at home."_

_The young girl grabbed her now full schoolbag and walked briskly out of the classroom, trying her best not to hear the snide remarks from the rest of the class as the door finally closed behind her._

_She ran, desperately trying to find an empty corridor._

_It didn't surprise her that no one defended her._

_She never had any friends._

_They all went away… since _that _day._

_And suddenly another memory flitted across her pulsing mind._

"_**Can't I go see Daddy and Mommy anymore?"**_

"…_!" She gasped and sank to the area just before the metal school lockers and leaned against the cool surface._

_Tears were suddenly prickling at her eyes._

_And for once, she couldn't control them._

"…_**I don't understand… I want Momma…I want…"**_

"_No…no…not now…go away…" The voices in her head felt like a churning wave of sick building up inside her head and forcing its way into her throat. She choked slightly and sunk to the floor, her entire body shivering._

"_**I…miss her…I miss Daddy…!"**_

_Lana clutched her head in agony. _

_Agony over the fact that no one understood…_

_Not a single person alive in this world could understand her feelings at all…_

"_**Why did you leave? …I can't raise Ema by myself! Why…WHY?!"**_

"_Um… are you alright?"_

_She jerked backwards in pure shock and almost slammed right into the metal doors of the lockers. Lana stared wide-eyed at the source of the noise, horrified that she had been seen in that... pathetic state of emotion._

_Someone was standing before her. _

_Lana blinked._

_She… hadn't seen this person before._

"_I-I saw you hunched over and got really worried… are you okay?" The mysterious girl extended a hesitant hand towards her still shivering form, who made no move to accept her help._

"_I…you…who are you?"_

_And all too soon, her cold and rejecting demeanour was back, and Lana Skye straightened up, glaring at the newcomer slightly._

_She was to rid herself of all emotion._

_Those things only dragged her down._

_It had been what dragged her down when her parents died._

_She had had to skip an entire semester of school to sort out her family._

_Be sent to a different home._

_A different school… nothing really was the same after that incident._

_She had learned to become a machine._

_Non-feeling._

_Non-caring._

_With the sole purpose…of achieving nothing but the highest of standards…_

_And place those like that accursed drunk who had taken the lives of those precious to her behind bars._

_Once and for all._

"…"

"_..Who are you?" She repeated, her eyes growing dark and suspicious whilst taking in her features._

_She looked a few years younger than Lana, but had the same long brown hair. The only differences were the fact that she had a long fringe brushed to the side…and a pair of bright yet warm hazel brown eyes which held a curious gleam as they observed their surroundings._

_She looked…naïve. Lana concluded._

_And wouldn't have grabbed her interest if she hadn't been the one to spot Lana in this predicament._

"_I don't remember ever seeing you on this campus or…"_

"_Oh, that's because I'm new here!" The young girl replied cheerfully, completely misinterpreting Lana's calculative stare for dizziness after bending over for so long and glanced around at the mess in front of them created by numerous study notes._

_To Lana's utter surprise, the girl knelt down and hastily picked them up._

"_I just transferred here, and was being shown around the school a few moments ago…oh!" She realised then that she had not yet introduced herself._

"_I'm Mia, Mia Fey!" The transfer student smiled warmly at a stunned Lana and handed her the slightly battered book of now tided notes._

"…"

"_You're Lana Skye, right?"_

_Lana almost dropped all of her books again in shock and managed to clear her head slightly._

"_How… did you know?" She managed, a scathing tone falling in the whisper._

_She was beginning to take more of a disliking to this 'new student' by the second._

"_Well, I sort of glanced at the tag on your schoolbag whilst I was picking up your books…and I heard a lot about you from the principal…!" Mia's eyes brightened up once more._

"_I heard that you were also the top of the class, and was really surprised when I found you here… so I was really happy to help you and…"_

"_No one asked you to." Lana suddenly cut in, and stopped Mia talking altogether._

_There was an uncomfortable silence as she finally composed herself and took a step back from the new student._

"_Oh…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" Mia began, confusing clouding her features as she tried desperately to work out what she had done wrong._

_Her racing thoughts were interrupted by Lana's last remark to her before turning away._

"_I never asked anyone to help me… and even if I did, __**I wouldn't have even THOUGHT about talking to the likes of a child who sticks their nose into other's problems like you."**_

_And with that, Lana ran off._

_A part of her was saying to think, once more, like a machine._

_To get back home. Check up on her sister. And go over her notes, like normal._

_Like what she did as a routine everyday._

_But…_

_For some reason…_

_Nothing came to mind but that look of pure hurt on the transfer student's features when she had threw in her face that last insult._

* * *

Her hand froze just before it made contact with the door to Mia's apartment.

And Lana realised then that she hadn't been thinking clearly until that point.

Somehow, she had reached the building indicated by a note she had found tucked away and hidden in her diary.

_Why…how exactly did we even become friends?_

_Especially after what I said to her?_

And she vaguely remembered saying to Mia that she would probably never find time to visit anyway.

And to that Mia had replied jokingly;

"_**Well, what if you just get this random urge for some company? You know I'll be here most of the time."**_

"_**Yeah…right…I'm sure that will happen at some point in time." Her reply had been a sarcastic one, but also one that was somewhat unsure of how she really felt.**_

"_**Besides…you're the only friend I have left, Lana."**_

_This…argh…how could I have…?_

All of a sudden, she didn't know _what_ to think anymore.

Lana shivered slightly and almost placed a foot behind her.

"W-was it really right for me to come now?" She murmured aloud with her voice full of doubt.

"She…probably doesn't even want to see me and…"

The door suddenly chose that moment to open.

The detective jumped as she spotted the familiar grey sleeve over a pale hand that was turning the door knob.

And her surprised teal eyes met the hazel brown of her best friend.


	19. Chapter XIX Decisions

**Author's Note:  
**

**From personal experience, when something horrible has happened to you (and in Mia's case, the State vs Fawles incident), you seem to tear up and overreact to nearly everything.  
**

**This is me interpreting the state Mia was in after her first case.**

**The usual Mia would have objected a lot more in this rather absurd little argument in this chapter. ^^  
**

**Chapter XIX – Decisions **

"I'll…be going back to Kurain for a period of time…"

"A-alright… do you need me to drive you?"

"…I'll be fine, thanks."

Her replies were stiff and unnatural, greatly contrasting her usual determined and cheerful demeanour.

"Mia… are you sure it's…"

"It'll be fine… I just need to cool my head a little."

"…"

There was nothing the three of them could say to change her mind. The fact that Lana had joined the supposed 'comfort group' didn't seem to improve Mia's current condition in the slightest.

She was grateful that they were all there for her.

But…

"Kitten, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go anywhere near your aunt at the current moment." Diego finally spoke up, interrupting the awkward silence that had stretched on for nearly a full minute.

"…So you heard my little 'phone conversation' with her back in the office?" She sighed wearily and turned to face him, her eyes still missing that once sharp look and now slightly glazed over.

"Um… I was…"

"Kind of standing right outside your door, waiting to apologise to you for that little bout over lunch…so I assume yes, he did hear you." Xekuto finished for him, his eyes on Lana to make sure she didn't concentrate too much on the conversation to cut herself whilst preparing Mia some fruit.

"Look… I just need to go somewhere where I'll feel most comfortable and…"

"We aren't really providing the 'fitting environment' you were hoping for, I'm assuming?" Lana placed the hastily prepared salad in front of her friend and seated herself beside her.

"No, it's not that!" Clearly hurt and confused all of a sudden, Mia jumped up, not comprehending why there were tears building up at a fast pace in her eyes.  
"What I meant was…!"

"You don't have to be so hard on yourself, Mia. We're just trying to work out what's the best for you at the current moment." Xekuto's voice was comforting, though it seemed like he was being distracted by something in the room that no one else could see.

Fortunately, no one noticed this.

"If you're going to Kurain, then I'm coming with you. I'm not letting you stay there alone with just your sister for company."

"Lana…you really don't have to… you need as much experience as a detective you can get if you want to become a prosecutor anytime soon." Mia sunk back into the couch, her head unable to focus properly. There also appeared to be unnatural shimmers of light dancing in front of her vision.

…_What on earth is __**happening**__ to me?_

"Th-then take someone else with you." Lana managed, her voice weakening slightly as for once, her fast paced mind couldn't seem to latch itself onto any supporting statement to help her friend until...  
"Take…Zoren! Zoren can come with you to make sure…"

"…She gets another lashing by her aunt for bringing back someone who the Feys despise, and thought was long dead? No, I don't think so."

A heavy silence fell amidst the conversation.

Diego blinked, realising that he was the only one who didn't understand what Xekuto meant by him being 'long dead' and shuffled his feet slightly in annoyance at his ignorance.

He didn't know what the family connections were between the Feys and the Zorens.

However… he did know how he could turn this situation around…

"I'll go then."

Mia was too tired to respond.

Xekuto, still being occupied by the 'something' in the room, simply inclined his head to agree with Diego's proposition.

Lana, however, was unexpectedly full of protests. And at that instant, her entire demeanour suddenly turned icy.

"...You? Diego Armando of Grossberg Law Offices? I thought you had a reputation to uphold here?"

A side to her that Mia had never seen before.

"L-Lana?" Mia seemed to jerk awake and grabbed her friend by the wrist to stop her as she neared Diego.

"If I have my facts right, you were the reason Mia was in a predicament before her trial. Something about… oh what was it again?" She cocked an eyebrow to show clear mockery and her irrational dislike of the senior attorney. "…a lunch date?"

It took all of his experience as an attorney not to flinch as he managed to stare directly back into Lana's glaring eyes.

"So what…you don't think I'm capable of taking care of Mia?" He shot coldly back, anger building up in him at this unnatural defense of his pupil that he wasn't in charge of.

"Properly? As a matter of fact, no, I do not." Lana didn't back down, and clearly not planning to in the next few minutes.

"Well, Ms. Skye." Diego's stubborn attitude of proving himself worthy finally got the better of himself.

"At least **I** was there during her first trial when _it_ happened."

Lana clenched her hands into shaking fists and looked as if she would like nothing more but to hurl one of them into the coffee addicts face. And Mia, not knowing what on earth she could do, looked as if she were about to burst into tears.

"I dare you to say that ag-,"

"**That's enough."**

No one expected Xekuto's sudden interjection and both parties seemed to lose their momentum in the short yet already heated argument.

The rookie attorney's eyes were an unnatural and piercing jade as he made his way in between Diego and Lana to push them apart.

"Armando's going with Mia to Kurain until things have settled down."

"What…? You're taking HIS side? I thought I knew you better than th-," Lana began once more, only to be silenced by the look Xekuto was giving her.

It was obvious he liked an excuse to simply grab someone by the throat but was doing his best to restrain himself from doing so.

"I'm not taking _anyone's_ side." He said very slowly and turned to face her fully, which pinned her to the ground by her feet in the process.  
"I'm merely thinking of what's best for Mia. You have to stay on detective's duty. And if I went, I'm fairly sure I'll be executed by the end of this supposed vacation since the Feys aren't exactly keen on bringing my existence back for the world to see."

"Xe…" Mia began, her heart feeling as if it were a trapped bird desperate to break free of its cage and out into the open. She couldn't stand this. Watching her friends fight over something so trivial…

She just couldn't stand it.

He seemed to notice and took a deep breath to clear his head before continuing in a much gentler tone. Making sure his word choices didn't further aggravate anyone.  
"So, if we don't want anyone here to either lose their job or be in any other tight predicaments, I think Armando's the best choice for this arrangement."

Lana shook her head and turned away from the group, her eyes fixed to the ground in stony contemplation.

"…Fine." She said after a while and turned back to glare at Diego.  
"But if I hear from her that something troubling is happening between you two again, I won't hesitate to report it to Chief of Police. I'm sure he would like to have a word with Grossberg about the fact that his newest attorney's mentor is causing her grief."

"…Whatever floats your boat, Ms. Skye." Diego said stiffly after glancing over at his still distressed pupil, whom still hadn't formed a single coherent sentence throughout this whole period of time.  
"...Is that alright with you…Kitten?" He managed weakly, earning him another icy glance from Lana at the use of her pet name.

"Y-Yeah…" She croaked feebly and sunk onto the couch, her head buzzing now and aching horribly, not even sure if she had heard the facts right.

_Diego is coming with me to Kurain?_

"Mia…? I'm sorry." Lana's eyes finally lost their cold look as she made her way to her friend and placed two hands on her shoulders.

"A-about what?" She couldn't even find the strength to look up, and weakly placed a hand on Lana's. But she did notice then that she still didn't know why Lana had arrived on her doorstep, full of apologies.

"…for acting like an immature child. And not being there when you needed me the most."

"Lana, you were busy, and I didn't even remind you about it. It doesn't matter anymore… it's over."

"…You'll forgive me then?" Her voice was still full of doubt.

"Listen, I was never angry at you, Lana." Mia managed then to look up and smiled softly at her friend. She knew she had to do this to put her troubled mind at ease.  
"So there was never a reason for you to apologise to me."

"…" The detective shivered slightly and tightened her hold on Mia's hands briefly before finally drawing back.

"Thank you." She said quietly and faced Xekuto for the last time that day.

"Take care of her for me, alright? I know I don't know you that well… mostly due to the fact I've only heard about you from Mia, and nothing else… but I feel that at least I can trust you with her."

"Sure, don't worry about it." Xekuto sighed and led her to the door, glancing at Diego to gesture him to talk to his friend.

"R-Right… see you… Ms. Skye." Diego murmured, not knowing how to respond with everyone suddenly on such friendly terms with one another.

"Farewell, Mr. Armando." She still hadn't found the strength to fully acknowledge him, but dipped her head respectfully before leaving through the door.

"…So, you're coming with me then?"

"…what?" Diego blinked and found himself suddenly alone with Mia.

…_the Hell? Where did Zoren suddenly go…?_

"You said you were coming with me to Kurain. So I guess we should go pack our things now. Xekuto said that he'll inform Mr. Grossberg about our… unexpected dilemma."

"O-Oh…right, yeah. Of course, Kitten." He composed himself hurriedly and followed her to help find an empty suitcase.

Technically it was Xekuto who had decided this for him.

But as he felt Mia lean into his shoulder as he helped her exhausted self into his car, he noted that he didn't mind this arrangement in the slightest.

* * *

"It's for the best, isn't it?" Xekuto had listened to the sound of them packing from outside the door, where he had remained even after Lana was long gone. He had then managed to avoid them altogether as they walked slowly to Diego's car with hastily prepared luggage.

"It's for the best that the two of them get closer to each other."

"…_Xe-kun."_

He let out a short and foolish attempt to laugh and brought up a hand to ruffle it in his short, silver hair.

"She should learn that there are others out there that care about her besides me."

"_Xekuto. Stop it. You can't say for sure that you'll…_

"Fail again? I think I will."

Ryu grew silent and didn't say anything else.

He watched with his friend as the black vehicle drove into the distance.

"Perhaps it's useless to try the next time I… 'come back'."

"_Xe-kun…you…can't possibly be implying that!"_ Ryu's eyes widened and he tried to seize his friend by the shoulders, forgetting for an instant that he was not physically in this world, and ended up going right through him.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Xekuto ignored this, and straightened up. He walked back stiffly to the apartment door which Mia had left open for him after noticing he hadn't returned.

"No matter how hard I try, I can't change Mia Fey's fate. So why should I even walk into her life? Wouldn't that burden her even more… needing to bear the cross of having _someone like me_ as a friend?"

He faced the now empty apartment room, and spotted the cutlery box that was carefully packed away.

He walked towards it, and pulled out the sharpest knife he could find.

"…What happens if I kill myself now?"

"_You'll be sent back into Shinume's domain… and she'll decide whether or not you get cast into another world."_

"Another timeline, more like. I still end up meeting the same people again."

Ryu finally lost it.

He felt so helpless in his current form.

And so frustrated at the fact that his friend was giving up when he himself still hadn't.

He, who had walked this path long before Xekuto was even born.

"_I said to stop it, Xekuto." _He dropped the use of the nickname he had given him to show how serious he was.

"_Shinume told me earlier that this time you may not actually be able to come back."_

"…"

_"You'll just be chained there…forever! Do you really want that after all those times you tried to save her?"_

"…Perhaps I will be happier."

"_What…? Have you LOST YOUR MIND?"_

"No. I think I lost it a long time ago. I think I'm becoming sane again, actually."

"_Xekuto…no… don't...don't do this to yourself now."_

Ryu's figure shimmered slightly before him.

As if he were fading away.

"She only visited me once. I chose to be involved in her life. I thought I could become the most important person to her, so that she could be happy." Xekuto dangled the sharp knife inches above him, his eyes dull and no longer caring.

No longer caring about anything at that moment in time.

"_Don't you see that at the moment, you __**are**__ the most important person to her? Besides_ _her family?"_

"It doesn't matter, does it?" He sighed and let it fall with a clang to the floor right beside him.  
"The Mia Fey of this world hasn't gotten that close to me yet than she has in the previous and multiple times we've met as children. She doesn't know who I really am. Doesn't know what I'm capable of. And if she needs company… She has Diego Armando and Lana Skye."

"_Don't say such things… The Xekuto I know would never give in like this._

"Ryu. That was me 'back then'."

"_..."_

The silver haired attorney turned once more to face the dragon spirit, his voice finally breaking and barely a whisper.

"**The Xekuto Zoren of this universe is telling you this now: **

**He no longer feels worthy of existing. **

**And that he is finally ready… **

**to completely and utterly...  
**

**give in."**


	20. Chapter XX Short Intermission

**Chapter XX – A Short Intermission**

Maya Fey was beside herself with excitement. After all this time, Mia was finally coming back to visit!

"She told me she's going to come in the next few hours!" She clasped her hands together in delight. "What should we do? I feel as if we should do something, Pearly!"

"Mystic…Mia?" The three year old stared up at her beloved cousin with wide eyes. She hadn't seen her elder cousin much at all before Mia had left to become an attorney at law. And the memories Pearl had of Mia were all very blurred given her tender age.

"Yes, my sister! The smartest one in the family…! Well, that's what I think anyway." Maya sighed happily and picked up Pearl to place her on her shoulders.

"But you're really smart too, Pearly!"

Pearl smiled happily, barely registering what her cousin was saying at such a fast pace.

"She'll come…and together, we're going to re-experience the best times together…and the best thing about it is: you can join in this time, Pearly!"

* * *

"_**No one knew then…that this would be the draw of a curtain."**_

"_**The curtain to the stage of a deep, long tragedy."**_

Shinume smirked as Shinjiko wrote the words in an untidy and shaky scrawl on the parchment.

And laughed as she watched the other half of herself cry.


	21. Chapter XXI Different Points of View

**Chapter XXI – Different Points of View**

"You used to live in a village?" No matter how many times Mia said it, Diego found this hard to believe.

"Yes, it's called Kurain and we're nearly there." She sighed and leaned into the car seat, barely able to keep her eyes open due to weariness from all the recent events.

"Well, I certainly hope so as we've been driving for about an hour now."

"It's been over an hour now, actually."

"…I rest my case."

Even up until now, Diego was still gathering his racing thoughts in his head and trying desperately to calm them down.

_I'm spending a vacation with Mia at her hometown…_

_Me._

…_And I didn't even get a say in this?_

He straightened up and positioned a hand on the steering wheel to turn into next street.

_Ah well. It can't be too bad, right?_

"I guess the only thing I'm worried about now is the fact that they might not accept me." Mia's words broke through his train of thought.

"…What do you mean? They're your family, aren't they? Why _wouldn't_ they accept you?"

"My aunt."

"…Oh."

"Heh…" Mia brought up a hand to ruffle her short fringe and brushed it to the side.

"I never knew I could quieten the great Diego Armando with two words."

"Don't push your luck, Kitten." And at once his usual teasing self was back.

"It'll take a lot more than that to shut me up."

* * *

"So, you got to her in time then, Bambina?"

"What did you expect? That she would somehow sense that I would come and then…_flee_?" Lana sarcastically remarked as she stormed back into the office.

She was very surprised that Jake was still exactly where she had left him.

"Where's your brother?"

"Oh, he was on the trail of a stray mustang so I won't be expecting him for at least another hour." Jake replied.

"A stray…mustang?" Despite the fact that Lana had spent quite a period of time in the working field with Jake, she still couldn't quite get the hang of his Texan metaphors that he had made a hobby of tossing into his sentences.

"By that I mean the case that he was looking into. I heard that he bumped into a freshman detective as well."

"Ah, you mean Dick Gumshoe?" Lana sat herself down behind her desk and stared at the huge pile of work in front of her with distaste.

"That's the one. He seemed pretty fired up about something."

"Isn't he working under the new prosecuting prodigy, Miles Edgeworth?"

"Not too clear on the details, Bambina. It's likely though since my brother told me that he kept mentioning his name and…"

"Sir!"

Jake turned his head casually to face the new comer who seemed to have trouble holding a stack of paper work in his arms.

"Officer Meekins, you're still here?" He asked bemusedly.

"Yes, sir! I'm here to file the report for Terry Fawles' case, sir! I was told it was of the utmost importance to do this immediately, sir!"

"You've got the wrong room."

"And importance is my…what, sir?" Meekins' eyes suddenly glazed over in confusion at Lana's remark.

"If you want to file away case files or reports, you need to see Chief Gant…not us." Lana explained patiently, though her eyes never looked up from her work.

* * *

"You couldn't find him?"

"No. The last place he was sighted was in Mia Fey's apartment, Ms. Tigress."

Her blue eyes appeared even more cold and calculative in the pale moonlight.

"How could you have lost him? He shouldn't know that we are tracking him and…"

"Actually he does know, Ms. Tigress." Chi dropped from the tree branch she was balancing on and leapt lightly by the assassin's side.

"He was the one who… 'put us in a tight spot' whilst we were in the middle of questioning Diego Armando."

"Oh? Is that so?" And to everyone's disbelief, Midnight Tigress smiled.

"Well then, if he was so keen on saving the life Diego Armando…then our next step is to find that senior attorney."

* * *

"Hello there, Marvin! Swim much lately?"

Grossberg jumped up at the familiar hearty greeting he was always given by Daemon Gant and managed to dip his head respectfully.

"D-Daemon…to what do I owe the pleasure?" Try as he might, he couldn't stop flushing to a deep shade of red and sweat profusely to this untimely arrival.

"Well, I've come to speak to one Ms. Mia Fey."

"…Ms. Fey?"

"Yes." Gant's eyes narrowed slightly behind his ever present pink shades.

"I head she had a case recently? State vs Fawles is what I believe it was called?"

"Yes, but…"

"And she's one of the first to tarnish your name, is she not?"

"T-Tarnish? Well I hardly think that…"

"And now she's on leave with your budding senior attorney, Mr. Diego Armando?"

"Well, yes…but…"

"I don't mean to cut in…but I think Detective Gant has this situation narrowed down quite nicely."

Robert Hammond chose then to stand from his work desk with a smirk clear on his features.

"Robert! It's been ages! Have you been swimming?" Gant's demeanour instantly became cheerful.

"Not so much these days, with all the work I've been given, and…"  
"Well, that won't do!" Gant tugged on his white, lightning bolt-shaped like strand of hair and tutted.

"We need to get together sometime, Marvin, and organise a group session!"

"Erm, yes…" Grossberg replied sheepishly, confusion clear on his features as he tried to work out why exactly the conversation had taken a sudden turn.

"D-Daemon…I thought you were in charge of overseeing the prosecutors, and not the defense attorneys?"

"Ah well, there's the catch line!" Gant clapped his gloved hands together and threw his head back to laugh.

And then lowered his head unexpectedly to scrutinise Grossberg's shaking form.

"There's a case I've dug up which I believe needs solving. And do you know who the sole witnesses to that case are?"

Grossberg blinked several times and gulped whilst Hammond stroked his chin, the answer ready on his lips.

"Ms Mia Fey and Lana Skye?"

* * *

"You know, Pearly. I'm really glad that Sis is coming back and that nothing horrible's happened to her." Maya was sitting with her baby cousin on her knees and fashioning a daisy bracelet around Pearl's tiny arm.

"Hor-ri-bble?" Pearl repeated hesitantly and smiled happily at the flower petals being carried by the wind and into the air in the field around them.

"Yeah…something happened when she went to high school… I think it involved a lot of people…and…" Maya screwed up her face in concentration to recall what Mia had told her, and didn't understand why she felt the need to tell her cousin at this point in time.

"And…?" Pearl tugged on Maya's sleeve, thinking that this was a bed time story and curled up to her.

"**Well…somebody died."**


	22. Chapter XXII Binding Rules

**Author's Note: "Ichi, Ni, San" are "One, two, three" in Japanese**

**Apologies for not updating in a long time. **

**I wanted to make sure I worked out everything about the first case before starting to write about it.**

**As for the Visual Novel of this, the first part should come out some time this year, once I find some help with sprite designing.**

* * *

**Chapter XXII – Binding Rules**

_There are three rules that govern the worlds of Xekuto Zoren. _

**_Ichi._**

_In the time frame that he is present in a world, two humans closest to him will welcome Death._

**_Ni._**

_Ryu Seron has the power to transport Xekuto to and from the Hidden Dimension._

**_San._**

_Memories will be wiped._

_These rules cannot be violated, unless changed intentionally by Shinume, and written with the hands of Shinjiko. _

_What also cannot be changed are the following facts:_

_Xekuto Zoren was created by the being that once was both Shinume and Shinjiko._

_Xekuto Zoren cannot cease to exist unless commanded by Shinume and Shinjiko._

_When Xekuto Zoren does cease to exist, the being that was once both Shinume and Shinjiko will return once more._


	23. Chapter XXIII Lost Fragment

**Chapter XXIII – Lost Fragment**

Mia Fey was a nuisance.

That is what Morgan Fey told herself every day.

And then she would quickly correct herself;

"No, Mia Fey isn't the only one in my way, the whole Main Family is."

Having been born first, Morgan was supposed to succeed the Fey family and be the next in line for the Kurain Channelling technique.

That obviously hadn't been the case when her younger sister, Misty displayed greater power than her and snatched the position for herself.

Mia had then been born into the main family as the next head.

And she had gotten rid of Mia after her mother disappeared and the young medium had gone to become a lawyer.

Or so Morgan thought.

"You say that Mystic Mia is coming…back?" She asked scathingly.

"Yeah! Sis says she's going to come and stay here a while!" Maya replied cheerfully, completely missing the look of malice present in her aunt's eyes due to her happiness.

_Wonderful, could things get any worse?_

"Oh, and I also should mention that Sis is bringing one of her lawyer friends with her! You know, for some company."

…_Absolutely brilliant._

* * *

"_An injury for an injury… a life for a life?"_

"_**That is right." **__Shinume pressed her pale, bony hands together as if in prayer and eyed Xekuto with a sneer._

"_**If you are able to find candidates to take the blow of an injury and loss of life, then Mia Fey and Diego Armando will be spared."**_

"_B-But!" Xekuto wasn't entirely sure why he was protesting. Probably due to the fact that he did not want to hurt any more innocent lives._

"_**Remember, I have already spared Diego Armando's death. So you should be grateful."**_

"…_He's still going to die in the end, well before his time. You made it so that he would awaken from the poisoning…but he would go to sleep soon after."_

"_**It's something, isn't it?"**_

"…_Fine. Can you bring me back to the world I was in now?"_

"_**Oh? Didn't you just say that you wanted to end everything?"**_

_Xekuto clenched his fists and eyed the veils of purple mist stonily._

"_That was before you told me that Diego would be…"_

"_**Heh. Do not fret, I enjoy seeing you squirm after all, Xe-kun."**_

_Ryu chose that moment to spring up from where he was kneeling._

"_D-Don't you dare call him that!" Ryu growled and settled between Xekuto and Shinume._

"_**Oh, I am terribly sorry." **__She murmured, not sounding the least bit apologetic. __**"That's your name for him, isn't it? It would just be cruel for me to use it when I am about to end him."**_

_Xekuto took Ryu's shaking fist and guided him away from her._

"_Xekuto?"_

_"Let's not waste time. Send me back to the world I was in previously. Please hurry." He muttered._

* * *

"Yay, Sis! You're here!" Maya was nothing short of a bubble of joy as she ran towards Mia.

Mia couldn't do anything but smile despite barely being able to hold her heavy heart.

"Wow, you never told me that other young kitten would be so feisty." Diego teased and lowered Mia's suitcase and other possessions on to the ground.

Without showing any sign of being shy, Maya reached forward and shook Diego's hand eagerly.

"You must be the lawyer friend my sis told me about!" She suddenly looked very sly and whispered to Diego.

"Are you two dating, are you?"

"Maya…!" Mia blushed furiously, and sorrow forgotten, she grabbed her younger sister from behind and restrained her.

"Don't speak such nonsense!"

Maya stuck her tongue out. "Well, he's not denying it…"

"Exactly! And…wait, WHAT?!" Mia turned her attention to Diego who was smiling cockily.

"Never knew this day would come so early…"

"You…you!"

Mia was sure her head would burst from the ruckus that she couldn't even hear Maya's delighted laughter.

* * *

"Hey, is this a… year book?" Diego spotted what appeared to be an album lying on Mia's desk. It seemed that Maya had taken the liberty to clean up the room before they'd arrived.

"Oh? Yeah… That was from my last year or something, I think." Mia mumbled and spread the futons out.

"Saint Lucia Private School? I heard that that's a very prestigious school." Diego flicked through the pages with interest. Something in the back of his mind was telling him that something had happened at that school that he had remembered reading through in the past trial papers.

"Yes. I got a scholarship, that was the only way I could attend since Kurain Village isn't exactly rich." Mia said and closed her eyes to cool her mind.

"…Didn't an incident happen at that school? Something that involved…a murder?"

"…Yes. I'm surprised you know. It was during my second senior year." Mia sat up and eyed him warily.

"I'm sorry, it's alright if you don't want to talk about it. "

"No, it's fine." She sighed. "It's not like I can lose anything else after everything that's happened in the last two days."

Then something clicked into place in Mia's mind. Like a lost gear that had been needed to make the engine of a powerful machine run. Her eyes widened, and with a hand to her mouth, she gasped slightly.

"Mia…? What's wrong?" Diego asked with concern plain on his face as he put down the album and walked towards her.

"T-the suspects… a witness said that they had a symbol on their clothes…!" She whispered, clearly hurt and afraid.

"Suspects? The people who were thought to have killed that student?"

"Y-yes…"

Diego almost hit himself for asking, but his curiosity had to be satisfied.

"What symbol was it, Mia?"

"…A black tiger."

* * *

"_Hey, Ryu! Wait up!" Mia ran towards her friend with an armful of books, double the amount that she would usually carry._

"_What's up?" He asked good-naturedly and turned to face her._

"_You forgot your textbooks for the next class, genius." She said and dumped half the pile into Ryu's waiting hands. "Be thankful that I know your locker combination."_

_He pretended to act shocked. "How do you know my locker combination?"_

"_You told me at the start of the semester, remember?" Mia sighed and stepped up the pace so that she could keep up with him._

"_Oh...yeah. Whoops. Must have forgotten."_

"_Well, at least you're not as absent minded as Ms. Leera. She mistook you for another boy in the class the other day!" For some reason, Mia wanted to defend Ryu._

"_Yeah." He chuckled. "What was his name again? Hayabusa? Well, to be fair, he does look a lot like me. The only difference between the two of us is that he has brown eyes instead of red and can read a book at the same speed of a snail delivering mail from Australia to New York."_

_Mia couldn't help but laugh. Which did not match up to the mood of what she said next._

"_Hey, do you get the feeling that we're being watched today?"_

"_Huh?" Ryu stopped in his tracks, suddenly serious and eyed her warily. "Why would you think that?"_

"_I don't know… just a feeling that I got."_

"_Hmm…"_

"_I-It's probably nothing. Maybe there's a bad spirit around or something and my channelling abilities are just getting in the way of things!" Mia realised that she was worrying him and tried to change the subject._

"_Maybe. Oh well, we better not be late for Legal Studies!"_

_Mia poked her tongue out to him._

"_I bet I'll score higher than you this time on the test!"_

"_Yeah right, when Lana starts getting a love interest."_

"_Hey…!" _

_Mia chased after Ryu happily to their next class. _

_Not noticing a black clothed figure looking into the corridor through a window with a smile on her lips._

"_**I've found you."**__ It said, giggling like a child. _


	24. Chapter XXIV Patient Persistence

**Chapter XXIV – Patient Persistence**

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Diego's brow furrowed. He was desperately trying to work out the significance of what his pupil had just said.

"What is it about a black tiger that is so important."

"Oh, Diego, you didn't know." Mia felt like crying again but the tears wouldn't come. Her eyes felt like there were engulfed in flames.

"Xekuto's whole village was massacred by an assassin's guild called 'Midnight Tigress'. Their symbol is a black tiger."

* * *

"_All students are to report to their form rooms immediately. Please travel in groups and with a teacher or supervisor. I repeat, all students are to report to their form rooms immediately!"_

_The announcement sounded like an alarm, being sounded again and again._

"_What's happened?" Lana demanded, finding Mia and holding on to her in relief. "Is someone hurt?"_

"_I don't know, Lana. But I can't find Ryu! I'm so worried!" Mia sobbed and faced Lana with tears in her eyes._

"_Don't fret. We'll find him." Lana said calmly and guided Mia towards their form room as the announcement had instructed._

_All the students were in a panic, and pushing each other out of the way to reach their rooms. Everyone could tell that something was very wrong. _

_**Plip…plip…plip…**_

"_What's…that noise?" Ryu swallowed his fear and walked quietly out of the bathroom he had hidden in. _

_**Plip…plip…plip…**_

"_Why… is it so familiar? I don't understand."_

"_**What do you mean you got the wrong one?!"**_

_A shrill screech suddenly rang out and Ryu covered his ears in pain._

"_Wh-what? What was…"_

"_**I sent you to get rid of the boy and you failed? You killed someone else? What is the meaning of this?!"**_

"_K-killed?" Ryu tried to be as quiet as possible and looked around the corner to see someone clothed in black and facing a limp body._

"_**You idiot! Look what you have done!"**_

"_That's…!" Ryu forced his voice to be soft. _

The boy Mia and I were just talking about!

"_**We need to get out of here right this instant! You have failed the mission and you shall pay dearly!" **__The shrill voice yelled again and grabbed the person she was rebuking. They vanished in an instant._

_Ryu finally realised then that the sound he had heard earlier was the blood of the victim dripping from the motionless body._

_Finally becoming overpowered by the stench of freshly drawn blood, Ryu covered his mouth and ran out the room with a knot in his stomach. _

How could this have happened? I thought it was all over…. I am such a fool…!

"_Ryu!" Mia was suddenly right in front of him and they nearly collided. _

"_Oh, Ryu, I've been so worried about you! Where have you been?!"_

"_I… was feeling ill. So I was at one of the restrooms." He said quietly._

"_Ryu? Are you alright? You still look very pale." Mia held onto his arm, worry plain on her features._

"_Huh? Y-yeah… I'm fine. Don't worry about me."_

"_Mia…!" Lana chose that moment to run out of the form room and into the two._

"_Seron, I'm glad you're alright too. I've just received news from the teacher. We've found out what's the cause of all the commotion."_

"_What happened?" Mia asked._

"_Someone… was murdered."_

_Mia was silenced immediately and started shivering uncontrollably. _

_Ryu looked away, unable to say anything either._

_But he was sure of one fact, and one fact only._

_The person that they had been targeting…_

…_And had failed to kill…_

_Was meant to be him._

* * *

"Someone was murdered in the school. I'm surprised they didn't shut the whole place down." Diego murmured, a hand on Mia's shoulder comfortingly.

"Yeah… I was really worried when I couldn't find Ryu then. I thought he might have been…"

"Ryu Seron."

Diego shook his head slightly. This was the name he had used to confront Xekuto during that first lunch date. He would never have thought that it would turn up again. Especially not in a case like this.

"Could we not talk about this anymore? I don't think my brain has the capacity to handle any more trauma."

"Oh, of course. Sorry." Diego backed off immediately and returned to unpacking Mia's suitcases.

Mia relaxed slightly and looked out the window next to her bed, wishing that what they had just talked about were nothing more than a dream.

Or a memory that never happened.

* * *

"A life for a life… an injury for an injury." Xekuto repeated what Shinume had told him and thought deeply into it, trying to work out what he should do now.

"_It means that someone else needs to die in Mia's place and get poisoned in Diego's place."_ Ryu offered helpfully.

"Thanks, but I know that already. I need to think of who to take their places though."

There was a minute of silence.

"Could one person take both falls?" Xekuto asked Ryu, facing him, his eyes flashing a jade green as an idea occurred to him just then.

"_Well, yes. Then we would be able to kill two birds with one stone. But are you really sure you want two such horrible fates to happen to one person?"_

"Well, it wouldn't matter if that person is me, now would it?"

Ryu stood next to Xekuto with his eyes wide, angry and stunned by what he had just said.

"_You can't possibly be serious."_

"Oh, that I am." Xekuto confirmed his worst fear and began walking away from Mia's apartment.

"_You can't do this to yourself!" _Ryu cried out, tears, for once, building up in his red eyes.

"_How can you continue to hurt yourself, when you know that I can't bear it any longer?"_

"Then just don't watch, that's easy enough, isn't it?"

"_Don't you dare talk to me like that, Xekuto Zoren! I am not Shinume!" _Ryu yelled and stopped Xekuto in his tracks.

"…"

"_You will never understand how I feel! I can do nothing but watch from the sidelines as you die again and again. I can't take control over anything. I cannot interfere. I cannot prevent each stupid decision you make that will only get you killed again!" _Ryu screamed at Xekuto, not caring about the tears that dripped from his eyes.

He had had enough.

No more of this.

No more…

"…Fine. Then let's end this once and for all."

"_W-what…?"_

"If we don't succeed in changing Mia Fey's fate this time. It will be the last straw. You have my permission to transport me back to the real world that we were first born into."

"_X-Xe-kun."_

Xekuto turned towards Ryu and said very quietly, his eyes looking wistful.

"I've kept her waiting long enough. It's time for her to wake up."

"_You mean…?"_

"Yes. The girl who has obediently waited up until now for the two halves of her soul to return. For us to return."

"_Her soul will only be complete when you and I have completely given up, and agreed to revert back to our original selves." _Ryu repeated what Shinume had once said a long time ago.

"When everything is over, she will awaken."

Ryu closed his eyes and looked into the night sky, saying the name with Xekuto simultaneously.

"**Chihiro."**


	25. Chapter XXV The Mistaken Turnabout

**Chapter XXV – The Mistaken Turnabout**

_The case for the murder of a student from Saint Lucia Private School never reached a conclusion. The true culprit could not be found and apprehended. This incident was therefore treated as an accident and, as if a miracle occurred, the school's name was kept untainted. _

"_I heard they paid that boy's parents tonnes of money to keep their mouths shut. How barbaric." Lana glared at the newspaper she was reading and crossed her arms._

"_There's nothing else they could do, is there?" Mia sighed and pushed her lunch away, her appetite lost immediately after being reminded of that incident. _

"_It's uncanny to know that they found no clues of the culprit ever even being there."_

"_Yeah. What were they, some sort of assassin's guild or something."_

_Ryu stiffened and suddenly stood up from his seat. _

"_I…need to get some air. I'll see you two after lunch."_

"_Wait, Ryu? What's wrong?" Mia was confused and tried to catch the sleeve of his retreating arm. _

"_It must be the case. There's been something odd about him ever since it happened." Lana proposed and ran a hand through her chestnut hair._

"_He's probably just shaken up from it, everyone is." Mia said defensively and stood up also._

"_Where are _you _going?" _

"_To find him. I need to talk about something with him." Mia replied, and left Lana to finish her lunch alone. _

"_Good riddance." Lana growled and bit her fingernail. "He's going to distract her from her goal."_

* * *

"Do you still remember that case?" Xekuto asked Ryu. He was walking along the pathway that headed towards Grossberg's office, not exactly sure why.

"_Yeah. How could I forget? I was in your body at the time."_

"Good point. I wonder if it's tied to any of the cases happening in the present."

"_Everything has to do with Midnight Tigress." _Ryu said scathingly. _"She's the reason we're in this predicament."_

"True. And we both know she was the real culprit behind the murder of that boy. The only problem is, that there is no way of proving that."

Ryu shook his head. _"Wasn't one back then, isn't one now."_

"Do you reckon Mia would be alright there in Kurain with Diego?" Xekuto changed the subject, seeing that it was aggravating Ryu to continue talking about it.

"_Yeah. I don't think anything bad's happened in any of the previous worlds whilst she was there."_

Hearing Ryu's confident tone comforted Xekuto greatly. He walked into his own office and the date on the calendar caught his eye.

"This time period is fixed in every world, so I'm not sure how long has passed exactly."

"_I have been keeping track like you promised. It's been exactly two years."_

"Exactly? Ah, yes. That's right. It was this day that it happened."

Ryu dipped his head solemnly.

"_Chihiro-chan's accident."_

* * *

"I thought I told you not to appear before me anymore."

"_**Relax, I come bearing good news."**_

"Oh?" The red haired girl faced the newcomer with interest.

"_**You are to commit another sin in this world. And I think you will enjoy the task that I am about to give you greatly."**_

"That does sound fun." She giggled. "Tell me what I need to do."

"_**Oh, it's simple really." **_The being handed the girl a note.

"What's this? A note telling someone to head over to the courtyard of the district court? Why is that?"

Shinume chose that moment to laugh with mirth before replying.

"_**Why that's because it is the precise location where Dahlia Hawthorne will have the pleasure of putting a bullet into Xekuto Zoren."**_

* * *

"The trial for that case wasn't very long. They couldn't find any leads and the judge pounded the gavel to annul the case on the second day." Xekuto leafed through the files he had retrieved from the lockers in the crime and investigations department.

"_Why are you looking up the case anyway? Did you think of a way to prove Midnight Tigress guilty?"_

"No. But I am trying to." Xekuto ran a hand through his silver hair and closed the locker door. "This would have been a lot simpler if I had someone else's help. Someone who knew the case well."

"_Well, I remember Damon Gant being in charge of the case. Maybe we should talk to him?"_

"Hmm. He hasn't proven to be helpful at all in the past worlds. So I am a bit hesitant."

"Hey, you still in here, pal?" It was Detective Gumshoe. He poked his head in through the open door and gave Xekuto a friendly wave.

"Yes. Terribly sorry to take your time. I will be leaving now." Xekuto packed up the notes he wanted and placed the files back into the locker.

"No problem, pal! I only came in because I was told to give this to you." Gumshoe scratched the back of his head and revealed in his hand what appeared to be a folded card.

"Hmm? A note for me?"

"Seems like it."

"Thank you, detective. I best be going."

"Alright, come again, Mr. Zoren!" Gumshoe waved him goodbye and returned to his post.

* * *

"We'll go over the case notes that I have taken in a lot more detail when we get back."

"_Alright. I'm all for it. But what does that note say?" _Ryu asked with interest.

"Hmm. It reads: "Meet me by the courtyard in district court. 8pm. Don't be late."

"_Strange. Is there a name on the thing?"_

"Nope."

"_You might want to go now, it's already 7:45 and it sounds pretty urgent to me."_

"Yeah, alright. Judging from the way it's written, I'd say it's from Lana. I can recognise the stationary."

Misguided, Xekuto and Ryu head over to the written location.

Shinjiko watched this happen as she wrote those exact words down.

Shinume chuckled.


	26. Chapter XXVI Gun Shot

**Chapter XXVI – Gun Shot**

"Have you ever been to a neighbouring village?"

"Huh?" The question caught Mia off guard.

They had finally finished unpacking everything that was in the suitcase and were now both relaxing in the garden.

"I mean, I heard there was a village nearby here…started with an 'H'. Though I've forgotten its actual name."

"Ah, yes. I've been there." Mia answered, feeling too fatigued to recall the name herself.

"Wasn't there a gas outbreak in that village?" Diego failed to notice this and questioned her further.

"Do we really have to talk about this now?" Mia groaned.

"I can answer for you!" Maya perked up and jumped in between them playfully.

"Fine, you take over Maya, I'm going to go lie down." Mia thanked her sister with a pat on the head and left Diego alone with Maya.

"That village you're talking about has a really complicated name and past. I've forgotten what it's called exactly, but there was a gas outbreak many years ago that wiped out the whole village."

"Really now?" Diego suddenly grew very interested in what the medium in training had to say. "Any idea on what caused the outbreak?"

"I heard it was toxic volcanic fumes." Maya said with a frown. "Though the experts say they never found out if that was the true cause or not."

"I see… Guess I'll have something to look into when I get back to the city." Diego stretched his arms above his head and realised then that it had been two hours since he had last had a cup of coffee.

"…You wouldn't happen to have a bean grinder out here, would you?" He asked Maya sheepishly.

* * *

_Ryu gasped painfully as he leaned against the door to the cubicle. He had splashed cold water onto his face repetitively so now there was water dripping steadily from his drenched hair. _

_He knew that Mia was waiting for him outside._

"Switch with me."

_Ryu jumped, and realised after several heartbeats who was talking to him._

_Xekuto's faded form materialised next to Ryu. _

"You've been in my body long enough, switch with me."

"_You do realise if I do that then you would take your own form?"  
_"I am fairly sure there is a way for me to keep your appearance."

"_Hmph, when did you get so clever? Alright, fine." Ryu took a hanging towel from its rack to soak up the dripping water.  
"We will switch minds for as long as you want. You've waited for quite a while."_

"Three years," _Xekuto hissed and felt himself being dragged in._

"_Ryu? Are you alright in there? You've been there for a long time!" Mia's voice called out to them just as Xekuto took full control.  
"Coming!" He croaked, getting used to his new voice and tidied himself up before displaying himself to her._

"_Oh good. I was getting worried there." Mia said, seemingly not being able to notice any change with her friend. _

"_Sorry, had a stomach ache." Xekuto invented and managed a smile._

* * *

Diego acquired the location of a local library and told Mia he would head there to do some research. What Maya had told him had him intrigued and he couldn't wait to find out more details.

Being in a rural area, the library was quite small and contained only books. But it was enough for Diego.

"I went through much tougher times when studying to be a lawyer." He muttered as he ran a finger across the spine labels to find the dewey number he was looking for.

After flicking through numerous pages, he found an article that caught his eye.

It was titled 'Village X's Syndrome.'

"Syndrome? This could be interesting." Diego flicked to the page indicated and read.

It seemed the village's name was withheld from the public as it was a dangerous site and did not want to attract any reporters or visitors of the kind.

The document was centred around the illness or syndrome that the village was famous for. Diego felt a shiver brush up his spine when he realised the symptoms of this illness were exactly the same as the ones he had seen Mia experience.

"_**People who have come in contact with anything located in this village will have automatically been passed this illness. It is similar to that of a dormant volcano. But once it erupts, severe harm may come to the patient. They will see shimmering lights and hallucinations, they will be convinced everything in the world is after them. The feeling of bugs and maggots crawling in their veins will be apparent and the patient will attempt to scratch and tear at their skin to free themselves from this horrible feeling. Many fatal cases include patients scratching away at the skin of their throat until they hit a major artery and die from blood loss."**_

Diego stared at the document, shivering and feeling extremely ill at reading this.

He also realised that no cure had been discovered for such an illness and that it only flares up when the patient is exposed to extreme stress or agony.

He made a mental note of this and promised himself he would keep an eye on Mia's condition and not let any further harm happen to her.

The senior attorney whipped out his phone and took several pictures of the pages he deemed most important. To his surprise, in the middle of this process, his phone began to vibrate.

"Hello? Armando, can you hear me?"  
It was Lana Skye.

"Ms. Skye? I didn't know I could get reception here in the damned mountains."

"That would explain why you didn't answer any of my calls."

"Hmm?" Diego straightened up at once as he sense the note of urgency in Lana's voice.

"Did something happen?"  
"Yes! I've been trying to reach you all this time to tell you! You and Mia have to get back here at once!"

"What's wrong?" Diego's heart pounded faster by the second.

Lana's next words were muffled, but he heard them very clearly in his mind.

"Zoren's been…!"

* * *

_**On a sleepy morning when I just fall asleep and wake again over and over **_

_**I fasten my necktie tightly **_

_**I walk through the door of the classroom able to stick out my chest ever so slightly **_

_**The wind blows right through such ordinary days **_

_**I felt like I heard it **_

_**Because I felt like I sensed it **_

_**Just now, in my heart that has begun to tremble **_

_**I felt it come again **_

_**Some hundred million stars vanishing **_

_**I saw them off **_

_**Waved goodbye **_

_**And said "Good for you"**_

"_**Not bad. It sure did keep me entertained. Where did you get that from, Shinjiko?"**__ Shinume reached into the cage and pulled her twin's face close to hers after she had finished the song._

"_**I-It was one of the songs that our former self loved to sing, Shinume-nee-sama."**__ She whimpered back._

"_**Ah, yes. Now I remember. Very good. We will put it to use for this first section of Xekuto's story then."**_

_Shinjiko chose that moment to cry out a little._

"_**Hmm?"**__ Shinume turned once again towards the many basins that showed the worlds of Xekuto Zoren._

"_**Ahh, yes. Something interesting is going to happen now. Tee-hee… I cannot wait."**_

* * *

"The note said somewhere around here, right, Ryu?"

"_Yeah… Weird, I don't see anyone."_

Xekuto paced around the courtyard, waiting for someone to turn up. He reread the note again, making sure he didn't miss any bits of crucial information.

"It sure is unlike Lana to tell me to come out here. Well, whatever she has to say must be very important."

It was at that exact point that Xekuto heard a rustling in the bushes.

"Is that you, Lana? Hello?" He walked towards the bushes, just as Ryu tried to grab his arm and pull him back.

"What did you want to talk ab…?"

**BANG**


	27. Chapter XXVII Nursery Rhyme

**Chapter XXVII – Nursery Rhyme**

"…been shot!"

"What?" Diego had already heard the statement clearly. His mind, however, refused to comprehend it.

"Zoren's been shot! He's in the emergency room right this minute!"

* * *

Pearl Fey was skipping along the round stones that led a path from the river to the shore. She hummed a tune that she had heard somewhere to herself.

The tune sounded quite happy, like a child's nursery rhyme.

She wasn't aware of the lyrics. She only remembered that there was a reason she had shut those out of her mind.

She had first heard it sung by a girl with long purple hair.

Though she had never seen that girl ever again.

Still, it was a happy tune, and she continued to hum it.

* * *

Police officers had already gathered around the scene of the crime. There was a pool of blood where Xekuto had lain unconscious. He had been sent hurriedly to the hospital.

Long yellow banners covered the area.

Accompanied by Gumshoe, Miles Edgeworth entered the scene.

"What happened here?" He demanded from one of the officers.

"Mr. Edgeworth, sir! We received a call from a resident who lived around here about hearing a gunshot. When the ambulance arrived, there was a man lying here in a pool of blood, apparently shot by someone."

"I see. Something I call a trafficless 'hit and run'." Edgeworth closed his eyes to think. "Have there been any evidence to suggest the identity of the criminal?"

"None, sir! Though there are dents in the bush nearby facing the courtyard that tell us the culprit probably hid there."

"Interesting. Investigate further and bring to me attention of any new found evidence."

"Sir!"

The officer hurried off after his salute.

"Name of the victim?" Edgeworth turned to a shivering Gumshoe.

"Mr. X-Xekuto Zoren, sir. I was with him seconds before this happened." Gumshoe mumbled.

"You? What was he doing?"

"He was collecting notes on a case that had been annulled many years ago, sir."

"Hmm…" Edgeworth reached into his pocket and took out his phone.

"I better inform the chief about this…"

* * *

It was a very short nursery rhyme, Pearl concluded as she skipped across the last stone.

After all, the tune repeats itself shortly after it started.

And then after that, it just repeats again and again.

For as long as the singer can keep going.

* * *

"Why won't you tell me what's happened? And why can't I go with you?" Mia cried out, clearly hurt and confused.

"It's something between me and Skye." Diego said scathingly, as he located his own bunch of clothes and hurriedly stuffed it into his backpack.

He couldn't let something like this hurt Mia again.

He had already failed once, he couldn't do it again.

"Please, trust me on this, Mia." He said, looking into her eyes.

After a long period of silence, Mia finally nodded.

"A-Alright… but you better come back…safe."

"Of course I will." Diego replied, managing a cocky smile. "If anything, I'll be back before you wake up tomorrow morning. So it'll be like I never left."

And with that, he ran out to his car.

* * *

Pearl knew something was wrong as soon as she saw the senior attorney's car drive off. She ran into Mia's room and found her elder cousin standing there in shock.

"M-Mystic Mia…?" She asked shyly, bringing her back into reality.

"P-Pearly! I haven't even said hi to you yet, how have you been?" Mia smiled happily and reached towards Pearl to pick her up.

Pearl laughed and held onto her cousin lovingly.

"Mystic Mia! Mystic Mia!"

Mia sat Pearl down on her futon and looked out the door once more.

"I really wish I knew what was going on…"

"…Came back, came back!" Pearl suddenly yelled.

Thinking she meant Diego, Mia perked up at once but then realised that Pearl was talking about someone completely different.

With a shiver, she followed the path that Pearl was pointing at and jumped in fright when she realised someone else had been in the room all this time.

"She came back! The long purple haired sister came back!" Pearl said, clearly delighted and not understanding why Mia was so scared.

Shinume stepped towards Mia and said softly.

"_**I know where he's gone. And I know the cause of it."**_

Mia realised the girl's lips were not moving. But she still heard every word.

_Telepathy? _

She suddenly faced Pearl.

"_**You were humming that song I taught you. Why didn't you sing the words?"**_

"I forgot them." Pearl admitted shyly and took Shinume's hand. "Can you tell them to me? Sing it for Mystic Mia too!"

Mia was rooted to the ground, she didn't know what to do.

Then the song began.

And Mia felt a strange sensation building inside of her.

One that she had never felt before.

Yet it was so familiar.

This time, Shinume did open her lips.

And sang:

"_**Tick…tock…goes the clock.**_

_**And all the years go by….**_

_**Tick… tock… and all too soon,**_

_**You and I must die."**_


	28. Chapter XXVIII Disconnection

**Chapter XXVIII – Disconnection**

"_**So we finally get to meet in person, Mia Fey." **_Shinume sneered at observed the young attorney closely. _**"Hmm, I can tell why Xekuto Zoren loves you so much."**_

Mia flushed, still not being able to move a limb.

"H-how do you know about us?" She managed.

Pearl continued to hang onto Shinume's arm, still unaware of the tense atmosphere. Though she was slightly disturbed by the lyrics, they didn't make much sense to her immature brain.

"_**I have been watching the movements and activities of Xekuto Zoren for a long time. You see… he is able to exist because of me."**_

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Mia finally mustered up the courage to stand firm and glare down at Shinume. "But I will tell you now that I don't appreciate you treating my best friend like an object."

"_**Well, well. So you do possess arrogance, I was just about to say that you were too…flimsy."**_

"Are you going to tell me what happened or not?" Mia demanded.

Seeing how upset Mia was getting, Pearl looked at questioningly at Shinume and frowned a little. She didn't like how the two of them were not getting along.

"_**Hmm, alright. But first."**_ Shinume made a motion with her hand suddenly and Mia felt something wrap tightly around her.

"Wh-what?!" Unable to fight these invisible bonds, she struggled frantically to no avail. Her body was outlined in a deep purple and being levitated from above the ground.

"_**I have to show you something special."**_

Pearl gasped and let go of Shinume immediately and ran to her cousin.

"Mystic Mia!" She gasped. "Put Mystic Mia down!"

Shinume ignored her and proceeded to motion towards the wall with her other hand. A portal of deep dark mist unveiled itself and she stepped through it with Mia, who felt as if she would faint.

"Mystic Mia!" Those were the last things Mia Fey heard before she was disconnected with the only world she knew.

_**What if your memories were merely fictional? **_

_**What if they never existed in the first place, and were only conjured up?**_

_**What if everything you knew was a lie?**_

_**There is only one truth here.**_

_**See if you can decipher it, Mia Fey. **_


	29. Chapter XXIX Overwhelming Power

**Chapter XXIX – Overwhelming Power**

**Beep…beep…beep**

_W-Where am… I?_

Xekuto peeled open his eyes, realising there was unbearable pain developing in his abdomen.

_Oh…that's right._

Sure enough he looked towards it and saw the bandage.

_I got shot. _

"Darn it!" He cursed under his breath and managed to sit up slowly, but not without sending an intense jolt of pain on his stomach.

"I don't have TIME to be shot!"

"_You realise how extremely wrong that sounded?"_

"Heh… should've know you would be here, Ryu."

"_Where did you think I'd be? Running off with Mia?"_

"That one wasn't funny."

"_Sorry."_

Xekuto sighed deeply and analysed his current situation.

"Okay. I'm bedridden, Mia's safe in Kurain with Diego and…well, pretty much nothing else is happening at the moment, right?"

"_I guess…"_

"You're thinking about that incident again, aren't you?"

"_Yeah. I still can't believe I passed the offer to testify. Up until now, the judge still thinks I had nothing to do with it."_

"…Which is true."

"_Yes. But I'd rather be of some use when I at least had a body."_

"Well, we'll think back to that case later. There's a good chance it's going to come up again since I have those notes on it now."

"_Yeah…about that, Xe-kun…"_

"Hmm?"

"_After you got shot, a black hooded figure went through your pockets and took that notebook."_

"What?!" Xekuto scanned around the room he was in for his dark grey jacket but it wasn't there.

_Oh…this is just…_

* * *

"…Perfect! I'm stuck in some random abyss like portal with no way back!" Mia yelled out in frustration and could see nothing around her but purple mist.

"What on earth did that girl want with me? And how did she know Xekuto? He EXISTS because of her? What is she, his mother?!"

"_**That is one way of putting it."**_

"…!" Mia gasped and turned around to find Shinume gliding just a bit behind her.

"What do you want with me?! Why did you bring me here?"

"_**To show you the truth of truths. To answer all of your questions."**_

"What…?" Mia's mind managed to click into place. She decided to take advantage of this abnormal situation.

"Fine then… tell me your links with Xekuto."

"_**Very well. Beware, the truth may be painful."**_

"The truth will be painful? Ha…!" Mia did a fine imitation of Diego's bark like laugh. The thought of her mentor at this moment assured her slightly.

"I knew that from the moment my mother left me. From the moment my father passed away. From the day I decided I would be a lawyer." She glared menacingly at Shinume, refusing to be afraid and intimidated.

"I chose the path of a lawyer to FIND truths! I know how painful they can be, and I am willing to take all of that pain to acquire those truths!"

"…_**I see. Very interesting. You are…different."**_

Mia clasped her hands to her chest and braced herself.

"_**We will start with the creation of Xekuto Zoren. This is rather ironic because...well…"**_ Shinume twirled around on the spot.

"_**He was never meant to exist."**_

"Stop saying such cruel things about him and get on with it." Mia hissed, feeling really unlike her usual self. She was getting irritated much more easily than usual.

An image of a science laboratory suddenly was present in one of the wells that Shinume always observed.

It displayed a close up version of a cracked test tube.

For some reason, the pieces clicked together in Mia's head immediately.

"Xekuto was… a failed experiment?"

"_**Ohh, very good. Yes, he was designed as a weapon originally, I think. Though my memory is kind of foggy. It was around that time when Chihiro-chama got into that accident after all."**_

"Chihiro?" Mia felt that name was oddly familiar.

"_**You are still familiar with the name 'Ryu Seron', aren't you?"**_ Shinume chose to ignore Mia's question completely and changed the subject.

"Y-Yes…"

_Great, how is Ryu tied into this?_ Mia thought to herself with a chill in her spine.

"_**You are aware that he and Xekuto share the same body?"**_

* * *

"What do you mean Shinume is talking to Mia?" Xekuto seized up when the pain in his abdomen struck out at him like a knife to the wound.

"_I can sense Mia's presence in Shinume's lair." _Ryu said gravely. _"What should we do?"_

"What else?! Send me there at once!" Xekuto cried out, desperation clear in his voice.

"_No. I can't do that! You're still injured!" _ Ryu protested._ "You're hurt enough as it is! This will be your undoing!"_

"It will be both of our undoing if she realises that the two of us are one person!"

"_So what if she does realise?! I was fine with you telling her ages ago but you never did!"_

"ARGH!" Xekuto groaned loudly and hit his bed pillow in pure frustration.

"What….am I going to do…?" He started sobbing fitfully.

_Mia…whatever you hear…whatever you think of me now…please…_

_Find it in your heart to forgive me…_

* * *

"Xekuto's…been born into countless worlds?" Mia swallowed, trying her best to comprehend this. "There are different worlds? Parallel worlds?"

"_**Yes. All of what you have said so far is true."**_ Shinume seemed to be enjoying herself immensely.

"And…this girl…" Mia walked towards the rusting cage and peered inside, feeling pity in her heart. "Shinjiko…she's been recording every sentence of it?"

Shinjiko shivered slightly but otherwise didn't back away from Mia. The blood stained quill she clutched in her hand never stopped moving.

"_**And this, is where I have my fun." **_Shinume motioned towards something Mia hadn't seen before in the veiled world.

It appeared to be a different version of a normal chessboard. Instead of the usual playing pieces, each figure had a very distinctive feature about them which defined who they were.

Shinume giggled and purposely picked up the one shaped just like Mia.

The young attorney flinched slightly. "W-what are you doing?" She gasped.

Shinume dropped the pieces forcefully onto the board.

All at once, Mia cried out in pain and felt herself being thrown hard onto the ground.

_Oh my…God._

"Y-you're controlling us? All this time, you've been…writing the script and treating us like actors in a play?" Mia gasped.

"_**You're much smarter than I expected. I do enjoy seeing you squirm. And that other person…what was his name again? Oh yes, Diego Armando."**_

Shinume chose to pick up Diego's piece next.

"No, stop!" Mia cried out and watched in horror and Shinume tightened her grip on Diego's body.

* * *

"When did this happen, Skye?" Diego was already in the same car as her as they drove towards the hospital which Xekuto was admitted to.

"Several hours ago." Lana replied briskly, clicking her nails against the wheel.

"Goodness sake, as if there wasn't enough trouble alrea…!" Diego was suddenly cut off when he felt an iron grip around his whole body.

"Armando?" Lana turned to him in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"I…don't know! Something's got a hold of me but I don't know what!" Diego gasped in pain as the grip tightened gradually. "I-I can't fight it off!"

"Calm down, Armando! We're almost at the hospital. It'll be worth your while to ask the doctors what's going on."

"Wait… it just stopped."

"Eh?"

Diego clutched his chest and breathed out in relief.

"What…WAS that?" He wheezed.

* * *

Mia watched the basin pool in horror and recoiled when Shinume lifted her piece up. She felt herself being pulled upwards and grappled with thin air.

"_**Now do you understand the power that I possess? Now do you understand why all should fear me? I can end people's lives with a snap of my fingers. I can make the best of friends do unthinkable things to each other. And when I'm really bored…" **_ She finally chose to pick up Xekuto model with her free hand whilst still dangling Mia in mid air with the other.

"N-No…!" Mia struggled helplessly and tears welled up in her eyes.

Shinume took a sharp blade.

And stabbed right through Xekuto's arm.

* * *

Red. There was red everywhere.

Xekuto couldn't even begin to describe the pain.

So he didn't.

He forced himself to ignore it.

For some reason, it was very easy to do so.

Maybe it's because he may never see Mia again.

That all he had done in the past hundred years were for nothing.

Perhaps the reason for that was the reason why his heart was aching.

Much, much worse.

Than anything ever before.


End file.
